égoïste
by ayabean
Summary: When he saw it again, he wasn't sure if he was dreaming.
1. raison 1

égoïste

raison #1

* * *

When he saw it again, he wasn't sure if he was dreaming.

Maebara Shiori is a third year student attending Fukurodani Academy in Tokyo. She's friendly, cheerful and somewhat blunt with honesty, living what she calls a 'normal life' as a high school student.

However, when she gets acquainted with the Fukurodani Boys' Volleyball Club, her 'normal life' was thrown into disarray, for better or for worse.

* * *

"I'm absolutely, positively sure that I won't be doing any science or math in university. Or literature for that matter!" Maebara Shiori didn't even cringe at the current results of said subjects in her hands, marked in big, bold red numbers.

"Hey, hey, hey, Shiori! What did you get?!" Bokuto Koutarou, a classmate of hers, got up from his seat almost immediately after the bell rung for the lunch break, heading over to his good friend's side to match results.

Shiori had just passed one quiz, the other two just barely missing the passing mark. Her math quiz was marked 39, science 40 and literature 38. Forty was the passing mark.

Bokuto stared at the ones he had in his hands, owlishly looking to and from his and her papers.

Without questioning him, she took a strained look at his results, brows jumping ever so slightly at the numbers for all three papers.

 _37 for math, 32 for science, and 40 for literature,_ Shiori thought. _Well, reality is we both failed two, and passed one. I guess it's a good thing we didn't fail all three? Thank God these aren't the exams._

"Well, it's a good thing they're only quizzes." She neatly put her papers into a plastic folder and slid it into her bag, giving Bokuto a smile. "Let's improve on it next time."

"That's what you say after each quiz or exam but you never study for any of them with the exception of biology." Yukie deadpanned, a smile on her lax expression.

Shiori couldn't deny anything her female friend said. Her brown eyes flickered to where Yukie sat directly behind her. She pouted, lower lip protruding out slightly, "I do! Well, I try to anyway! But it just kind of slips my mind! I can't apply stuff to stuff!"

Shirofuku Yukie sweat dropped at her and glanced at Bokuto, who had gone back to his seat two seats away horizontally from her. He was packing up his stuff, unusually quiet. He came back to the girls with a funny expression. Yukie likened it to one of those looks that Bokuto gets before he becomes restless to hit the volleyball on the court during his emo mode.

"Hm?" Shiori hummed lightly, eyes on Bokuto. In a moment of observing him, Shiori knew what was up. She gently patted his upper arm since she was sitting down, "It'll be fine! 40 is the passing mark so as long as we pass that we're all good!"

"Easy for you to say but impossible to get over." He mumbled.

"Hey, don't get so down, Kou!" She lightly punched his arm.

Bokuto wasn't at all bothered by her calling him by his nickname, after all, they'd known each other since first year, and were close for the whole of their high school years. He called her by her name, too. Though, sometimes Shiori would change it up and call him by his surname.

"I'm surprised you're used to this result." Yukie spoke to Shiori, knowing that although Bokuto was listening, he was sulking.

"Huh? I guess so." The female with the brown black hair waved her hand dismissively, "I know I'm not good at it so I kind of expected this. When I did get a result like this for the first time, I was pretty disappointed. But then I just went, 'yeah, okay. Cool. I suck at it. Okay.' And it just kind of went downhill from there." She laughed lightly, putting a stray hair behind her ear. When it came back onto her face she pushed a hand through her hair and tied the medium length into a low ponytail.

"That's…a little…" Yukie started, unsure of what to say.

"Well, that's for the ones I hate the most anyway. Biology is a different story. That stuff's interesting, so I like to watch documentaries." She tapped her fingers on the table lightly, crossing her legs, "If everything was learnt in pictures or a documentary or something, then that would make it so much easier and better to learn." She muttered under her breath, "Though I highly doubt that'd work for math."

"Oh!" Bokuto perked up, "You mean like those documentaries that you love to watch about animals and stuff?" He was suddenly out of his sulking mode, having remembered the documentaries he watched with Shiori.

 _That was quick…_ the two females sweat dropped.

"Yeah, that's the only reason I'm good at biology." Shiori chuckled.

"Maybe I should watch more of them too, then!" Bo grinned widely.

"Yeah? Ah, I've got a whole range of new ones saved so you can come over whenever and we'll watch them together." Shiori suggested, giving him a thumbs up.

Bokuto matched her. He'd been to her house many times, and whenever he did it was the coolest chill time. Most of the time it'd be them trying to figure out what to do with their failing grades, but sometimes they'd just chill, watch documentaries or movies, or play video games and read manga.

Yukie and other people that they knew would sometimes tag along, such as Akaashi (if he had time and Bokuto was eager in dragging him; or simply if Bokuto just dragged him along against his will), or the other third years they were acquainted with.

"Well, you guys are both busy with the volleyball club so it might be hard to find a time." Shiori pondered, but shrugged. "Anytime should be fine with me. Just give me a text or call."

"You're sure lax about this." Yukie commented. "Most people wouldn't be so welcoming with inviting people – boys in particular – to their houses." She paused for a moment, thinking back to many times that Shiori and Bo had been mistaken as a couple because of that, "But in your case, you don't mind one bit."

"Yeah, I don't." Maebara took out a water bottle and fiddled with the lid, opening it up. "Well, I'm pretty used to this stuff. I mean, I was born overseas so that might have influenced my thinking of this kind of stuff."

"Eh?! You were born overseas?!" Bokuto's golden eyes widened, "Since when?!"

"Since I was born, dumbo!" Shiori laughed and sipped from her bottle, "I was born there, Kou!"

"O-oh…" He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.

"This is my first time hearing this, actually. Which country?" Yukie had leaned forward in interest. She rummaged through her bag and took out a bento box, putting it on the table she sat at.

"Australia." Shiori answered. "I moved to Japan when I was around, uh, I think 7 or 8? Otherwise I'd be going back and forth because of my parents."

"Eh? Why?" Bo asked. It seemed like an insensitive question, but Shiori didn't mind one bit.

"They're not divorced, if that's what you're thinking." She played with the lid of her water bottle, "Dad's job sometimes requires him to move to a different place. Mum was with him until I turned 5, and then she went back to Japan to work."

"Eh…" Yukie drew out the vowel and nodded slowly. "So that's why you're good at English." She remarked.

"I guess." Shiori tittered and took a drink of water. She looked at Bo, who looked like he was thinking. "You okay there?"

"So you've been living here for like 10 years, right?" The owlish ace questioned. He jingled the coins in his blazer pocket, as if he was ready to bolt and buy food. "Doesn't that mean your Japanese is better than your English?"

"I understand both but sometimes I understand better in English." She hummed and took out a bento from her bag, "Let's go eat. I'm hungry."

"I'm going to buy some stuff," Bokuto raced out the door as Akaashi Keiji, a second year, walked in with his own bento, eyeing the Ace as he greeted him and left to fight for the yakisoba bread.

"Oh, Akaashi." Yukie greeted. "Homemade lunch as usual?" She eyed his bento like a hawk eyed its prey. It was always something delicious.

"Hey." Shiori grinned at him, raising a hand in greeting.

"Shirofuku-san, Maebara-san, hello." He greeted with a nod of the head.

"I told you to call me 'Shiori', Akaashi!" The medium length haired female playfully frowned when he placed his bento on Yukie's desk, dragging over a chair to sit down.

Akaashi merely glanced at Shiori, a bit conflicted on whether to call her that. She had told him that many times before, but he didn't seem to want to, rather he was reluctant since she was older than him.

The teen leaned on the table and eyed the setter, "If I called you Keiji that would be fine, right?" She grinned.

At the mention of his name, Akaashi stared at her with slight surprise. Seeing his reaction, Shiori just laughed and shook her head, "I'm only kidding. But seriously, just call me 'Shiori'. I'm more used to it." She sent him a smile, then added, "But if you really want me to call you by your name I wouldn't mind."

Yukie chuckled lightly, now understanding why she had said so every time. It was because she was easily brought up that way, and seemed to stick with it. It probably confused the girl every time someone called her Maebara, even though she'd been living in Japan for a decade already.

Yukie addressed her as she wanted, but Akaashi was probably the only one in her friends group that called her something on the more formal side of the scale. She thought it might have to do with him being a second year and everyone else being third years.

"…Shiori-san." Akaashi spoke after a moment, contemplating the new sound.

Both Yukie and Shiori's eyes widened slightly. Akaashi met the latter's eyes, almost asking if it was okay. The grin on her face affirmed him.

"Well, we'll stick with that. No honorifics is fine, too." She clapped her hands together lightly, almost in glee, "That took you like 2 years! Wow, it's been a long time, huh?" She giggled at the memory of her first telling him it was okay to call her by her given name. The look of shock in his eyes was hilarious.

Akaashi nodded, "It has."

"Well, what do you want me to call you? Should I call you Keiji or Akaashi? Or either?" The dark haired 18 year old unwrapped her bento. As she did so, the other two did the same.

"Either is fine." The seemingly emotionless teen didn't mind. He knew she had a habit of being too casual like it was completely normal for her, but it wasn't in a rude way that some people might have taken it. It didn't take him long to get used to it either.

"Ittadakimasu." They spoke in unison before they started eating. On their first bite, Bokuto had come back from the battle of the yakisoba breads, heading towards their table with two in his hands.

"You managed to get two this time!" Shiori sounded like she was praising him, but she was quite surprised he managed to. Normally the rush and demand for yakisoba bread was quite high, so he only ended up with one, but this time he had two. "What a lucky day."

Kou beamed, pulling a chair so that he sat on the other side of Shiori and Yukie, opposite of Akaashi. "I know right?! It's like they knew I was coming and these two were the only ones left!"

"You sure that'd be enough to fill you?" Shiori pointed her chopsticks at the bread he was unwrapping.

"Should be fine for now." Bo glanced down at her bento, then Akaashi's, then Yukie's, eyeing them almost as if he wanted some too.

"If you want some just say so yeah?" Shiori continued eating.

"Yeah okay." Bokuto grinned as he ate.

"Can I have one of these?" Yukie pointed to the grilled chicken in Shiori's bento. When she gave the ok, Yukie quickly took it and ate, smiling dreamily at the flavours.

"Did you want some too, Keiji?" With a cheeky grin, Maebara looked to the second year, who was actively eating an onigiri.

He was completely unfazed by her usage of his name, which Bokuto took notice of.

"Hey, hey, hey, you guys are on first name basis now?" He exclaimed with surprise, laughing lightly. He patted Shiori's shoulder with his left hand (which Shiori was glad for because his right hand pats are hard). "Two years in the making!"

"Not really, I'm just teasing him. He responds to both anyway so I'll use either one." The dark haired female just smiled, grabbing a piece of chicken and putting it in Akaashi's bento, since he nodded just earlier.

"Hey, hey, hey give me a piece of chicken too!" Bokuto complained, seeing both his friends eat the same grilled chicken.

"Here." Shiori was used to stuff like this, so she normally packed extra. Bokuto and Yukie were notorious for taking her food. She didn't mind too much. She grabbed the largest one and lifted it with her chopsticks so it was closer to Bokuto, "Say 'Ah', Kou." She sang teasingly.

He chomped onto the piece of chicken and Shiori resumed eating, not minding the stares she got from around the people that were still in the classroom. They were kind of used to it but yet they kind of weren't.

"Wow, you guys." Konoha Akinori stepped into the room, holding some bread he bought earlier. He made his way towards them, "No wonder everyone thinks you're dating."

"Don't say it like I don't do it to you guys either." Shiori rolled her eyes, but smiled when Konoha came closer and dragged a chair to sit between Yukie and Akaashi.

"Yeah, true. If I didn't know you I'd think you were dating everyone you were feeding like that." He commented, opening the bread. "Ittadakimasu."

"Well, now that we're on the topic do you want me to feed you too?" Shiori smiled expectantly at him. It was pretty normal for her to do this kind of stuff to her friends, but from an outsider's perspective, it was a little strange.

Konoha blushed, fumbling with the bread wrapping when he saw her suggestively wiggle her brows. He looked down and tried to focus on the bread, "I'm never going to get used to this."

"So I take that as a yes?" She took one more piece of chicken and did the same thing she did to Bo, but to Konoha. "Say, 'Ah', Aki." She sang.

With his ears turning red, he took the chicken from her chopsticks and chewed on it with a red face. She laughed at that, finding his embarrassment hilarious. The others joined in, except Akaashi, who just had an amused smile on his face.

"Anyway, Aki, how'd you go on your quizzes?" Shiori questioned.

"I failed English. Just got a pass for other ones though." Konoha sighed, chewing his food.

"Oh! That's better than me! I failed two. Good job, Aki!" She gave him a thumbs up.

"Nice!" Bokuto grinned, finishing his first yakisoba bread.

"What about you, Shirofuku?" The wing spiker glanced at their manager.

"I passed." Was all she said, taking an onigiri from Shiori's bento after finishing her own.

"Good job." Konoha smiled. His eyes went back onto the others, then Akaashi, who was just eating his bento quietly.

"Akaashi, you're in the advanced class, right?" Konoha spoke slowly, almost as if he was testing the waters.

The second year glanced at his teammate and nodded. "If it's English you need help with, Shiori-san will probably be better at helping you." It was like he read minds.

 _First name basis?_ Konoha looked over to Shiori, "Eh, really? How'd you go for English?"

Shiori smiled and held up a victory sign, then continued eating, occasionally feeding Bo whenever he asked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Aki questioned with a raise of an eyebrow.

"It means she got full marks." Yukie translated.

"Full marks?!" Bo nearly broke Shiori's chopstick when he bit on them accidently; Konoha's eyes widened.

"Why are you two so surprised?" Akaashi questioned. "Did you not notice that those documentaries are all in English?" He referred to the ones that they watched over at Shiori's house.

"But there were Japanese subtitles!" Konoha complained. "How am I supposed to know that she understands them without subtitles?"

"Well, you never asked." She examined the chopstick that Bo bit on, hoping that it didn't break. It didn't.

"Hah…?" Konoha let out an exasperated sigh, "If I had known I would've gone to you the whole time if I had trouble in English!"

Bokuto pointed out, "But when we hold study sessions Shiori and Akaashi are always the ones correcting our work."

"Yeah, same for me too." Yukie nodded in agreement.

"Plus, Shiori was raised in Australia so that's why she's good at it!" Bokuto grinned and ruffled her hair, making it stick out in random places. He loved to show off information that he just learnt.

"Eh?!" Konoha looked to Shiori, who just shrugged.

"I don't get why you guys are getting all surprised!" She closed the lid to her empty bento.

"Well, this is the first time I've heard of it…" Konoha took a bite of his bread.

Yukie closed her bento box and packed it away, "Oh, that's right," She turned to the volleyball members, "Nekoma is going to come for a practice match next week."

"Hey, hey, hey!" Bokuto cheered, throwing his arms up.

"Ah, alright." Konoha nodded.

"What time?" Akaashi asked.

"They'll be coming around 4 to 4.30."

"Eh, Nekoma…?" Shiori mumbled, leaning on her palm. She glanced at Bo, "Isn't that the school where your friend Kuroo goes to?"

"Oh? Oh yeah, you haven't met him yet!" Bokuto grinned, then gasped when he had a sudden idea, "You should go to the practice match! Then I'll introduce you two!"

"Is she even interested in volleyball?" Akaashi questioned Bokuto with an almost apologetic expression at Shiori. "Don't force her."

"I don't really mind." Shiori smiled. She put her bento on her desk and turned back around to them, "I've played some volleyball when I was younger, so I wouldn't mind watching." She grinned.

"Oh?! Ah! So that's how you knew all those volleyball terms!" Bokuto and Konoha spoke in unison.

Akaashi turned to Shiori, mildly surprised. He knew she had some knowledge of volleyball, but he didn't know if she had played or not.

Yukie grinned. She was the only one out of them that knew she had played volleyball before, but that was only because they were in the same P.E class. "You know, we played volleyball in P.E and she was really good."

"No, I'm not!" Shiori shook her head and waved both hands in complete denial. "It was just a couple of games for fun."

"That makes it more the worthwhile to come watch!" Bokuto grinned and threw his arm around her, "You haven't watched us play in a practice match yet, have you?!"

"N-No, I haven't." Her breath was nearly knocked out of her when she hit his chest. "I haven't seen you guys play much either."

Yukie beamed, "They're a team that goes to Nationals!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know that part."

"Come watch us then!" Bokuto's grip around her tightened slightly, forcing the teen's face to go a little blue.

"Bokuto-san! She's turning blue!"

"Oh, sorry, sorry!"

Shiori sent a look at Bokuto, then a nod of thanks at Akaashi.

"I…guess I'll go watch you guys, then." She massaged her neck, "Watching a practice match won't hurt."

Akaashi stared at her for a long moment, contemplating something. He glanced at her desk, seeing her name written on the closed notebook.

"I'm be right back." Shiori stood up and headed to the bathroom.

Bokuto and Konoha had almost shocked expressions for a good moment before they cheered, giving each other double high 5's.

They stood up with their raised arms in a silent cheer.

"Konoha, she's going to be watching our practice match!" Bokuto sounded extremely excited. He was grinning ear to ear.

Konoha was the same, and he fist bumped Bokuto, "She's going to be watching out practice match!" He repeated.

"Are those two okay?" Yukie glanced over at Akaashi, looking a little confused.

"They're just excited that Shiori-san is going to be watching them play." He stated the obvious.

"But why?" Yukie questioned. She didn't get this level of excitement when they were just normally talking to her, so it was a surprise that they unveiled this part of themselves when she wasn't in the room.

"Have you seen her though?!" Konoha sat back down and faced Yukie, "Just having her at the practice match will be motivation enough!"

"Eh…why? Why did it take you three years to invite her to a practice match?" Yukie deadpanned, "Wouldn't it have been better if you had invited her in first year?"

Konoha and Bokuto blushed, speaking over each other so that neither was coherent.

"Say one thing at a time, you two." Akaashi had just packed up his bento and wrapped the cloth around it.

"But, she's so _cool_! And she's so pretty!" Bokuto placed his hands onto the desk, surprising Yukie. "Like, the atmosphere around her kind of makes her hard to approach sometimes! Especially when she's not smiling!"

Konoha nodded fervently in agreement, "Imagine how hard it would have been in our first year to try and approach someone like her!" He sighed, "She was the first one to talk to us so that's how we were able to become friends, but still…!"

"Yeah, yeah! Don't you get it, Shirofuku?" Bokuto turned to Akaashi, "Akaashi?!"

Yukie nodded slowly, thinking back to first year and what happened then. "That's true, actually. She _is_ really pretty and even for us girls it was hard to approach her when she's not smiling."

"See?! You too!" Konoha could almost connect with what Yukie said.

"But after you talk to her for the first time it's really easy to talk to her afterwards." She nodded in agreement with her own words.

"Yeah! Ah, during first year there were so many girls that she hung out with that it was hard to get close to her without facing their wrath…" Bokuto mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah, I know right? We were in the same class, too…" Konoha sighed to himself and stretched, "Well, somehow we managed to befriend her easily. I've gotta thank you for that, Shirofuku!" He grinned at her.

Yukie laughed, "You could have just approached her. She's nice."

"It's not that easy!" Bokuto and Konoha cried simultaneously.

Akaashi raised both brows slightly, "I understand what you are all trying to say, but does this really warrant a celebration? It's only one practice match."

"Oh! Akaashi, so you think so too?!" Bokuto looked excitedly at his junior. "That's she's a cool beauty?!"

"I didn't say that…"

"So you don't think so?!"

"I didn't say that either…"

"Wow, what a heated conversation." Shiori laughed when at them she came back into the classroom, "What are you talking about that's making you guys so fired up?"

They turned to her, relieved that she didn't know what they were talking about.

"They were talking about how excited they were about you coming to our practice match." Akaashi bluntly told her, which made Konoha and Bokuto want to cry out that it wasn't true, even though it was.

Shiori glanced at them with surprise, then a grin broke out on her lips, "Hey, it's nothing to be so excited about. Just focus on your match."

Konoha glanced at Bokuto, _if Bokuto's going to be all good to go then, then it should be okay! Hopefully I don't screw up, either…_

"Ah, by the way, the makeup quizzes are going to be next week, too, right?" Shiori recalled, glancing at Yukie for confirmation. She nodded. "When do you guys get off club? If you have time you can come over to mine for a study group."

Bokuto and Konoha perked up when they heard they were going over to her place, "Oh! We should!"

 _You only want to play on her game consoles and ransack her manga collection and fridge,_ Yukie wanted to roll her eyes at the boys, but kept her silence about it.

"If that's okay with all of you." Shiori met everyone's eyes. She paused at Akaashi's, "This is going to be third year stuff, so I'm not sure if you're interested since you're a second year…"

"I'll come. I can help with your bad subjects. I also need some help on my English." Akaashi nodded at her.

"Oh, ok. It's been a while since I've helped you out, hasn't it?" She tapped her finger on her chin and sent him a smile.

Akaashi nodded, matching her big smile with a small one.

Yukie, Bokuto and Konoha watched them. They didn't know Shiori helped Akaashi with his English work.

"Oh yeah, when do you guys want to start? Whenever is fine with me, since I should be free around that time. I'll provide dinner for you athletic freaks so don't worry about that." Shiori took out a diary and flipped to the day's date, borrowing a pen from Yukie's pencil case. She added, "If we do it on the weekend too, you guys can probably stay over if you want. Dad's out until the end of the week."

"Oh!" Bokuto and Konoha's eyes glimmer with anticipation.

"We have practice on Saturday." Akaashi stated. "We can come after practice."

"Yeah, okay. Make sure to bring a change of clothes so you guys don't stink up my house." She spoke in a joking manner, but was absolutely serious.

"Hm…okay, what about tomorrow? That way, I can prepare for meals and the like." Shiori nodded to herself and tapped the tip of her pen onto the paper.

'Yes' chorused around her as she scribbled down some words on her diary. "Okay, so will any of you be staying overnight on the Saturday?"

"I'll stay over." Yukie grinned. She loved to bunk at Shiori's.

"I will!" Bokuto raised his arm. It was the first time he would be staying overnight.

Following him, Konoha raised his arm, "Me too!" He didn't want Bo to be the only one who was staying over for the night.

"Akaashi?" Shiori turned to him.

"It should be fine." He spoke after a moment of thought.

"So everyone's coming, then." Shiori wrote down the number of people, then looked back up, "Ah, what about the others? Like, Saru, Haru, Washi and them?"

"They passed all theirs." Konoha replied.

"Eh, did they now?" Shiori pouted, "Well, then it's just us then."

"Shiori-chan!" Someone called into the classroom after spotting her. It was the captain of the archery club. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Hm? Yeah, okay." She packed up her diary and placed it on her desk, excusing herself from the table.

"This time's the archery club?" Yukie spoke to herself.

"This time?" Akaashi questioned.

"Oh yeah, you wouldn't know." Bokuto leaned on the table, watching Shiori talk with the captain of the archery club. "Shiori's not part of any club, but she's good at a lot of things so clubs that are short on members for competitions and stuff ask her to be part of it."

Konoha nodded in agreement. "I don't even know what club she'd join if she really was part of one. It'd probably be a sport, though. She's good at sports."

Akaashi could only nod at the explanation the third years gave him.

"If she was on the girls' volleyball team we could have practice matches or something!" Bokuto grinned, crossing his arms and leaning back.

"Bokuto…that'd be overkill." Yukie shook her head, imagining the girls getting hurt from his spikes, "It wouldn't be fair that they have to go against a team who've been to Nationals."

"Eh?!" The owlish ace drew out the vowel, groaning. He saw the implication with it, but he thought it would be a good idea.

"That sucks…"

* * *

After volleyball practice had ended, the team went their separate ways. Akaashi shoved his hands into his jacket, feeling a light chill from the evening. It was around 6 after practice had finished.

He heard the rumbling of his stomach and went for a detour to the closest convenience store, which was close by a sports centre. He bought an onigiri and walked slowly as he ate, passing by the sports centre.

When the automatic doors opened, he heard the slam of something loud against the ground, which surprised him. He turned his head to the side, seeing a volleyball roll on the ground and people on one side of the court looking at it roll with shocked expressions, and a few cheers from the other side of the court.

"Service ace!"

"Yeah! Good job! Service ace!"

 _That was a serve just now?_ Akaashi walked inside, curiosity sparking inside him. He took the stairs that led up to the second level bleachers, standing near the rails and taking a look down below at the volleyball court.

There were quite a number of people spectating the match, some of them which were there to wait for their kids to finish their sports lessons on the other part of the stadium.

Akaashi's eyes went downwards, observing the one that was currently serving. His steel coloured eyes widened when he saw that it was Shiori, dribbling the ball a few times.

 _She did mention that she played volleyball when she was younger,_ he recalled the conversation they had earlier in the classroom at lunch break. _That's probably why she's playing recreationally._ He looked at the teams, which both comprised of half girls and boys, all of whom seemed to be university students. _It's rare to find a mixed gendered team._

When she stopped dribbling and felt the ball around on her left palm, her gaze went up so that it was level with the opponent's eyes. In response, the team crouched just slightly lower, as if they were getting extra prepared.

Akaashi noticed that change in atmosphere, but noted that the intensity shown in Shiori's eyes was intimidating. His brows furrowed as he watched, now leaning on the rail after finishing his onigiri.

 _How would it be on the receiving end of things?_ He watched as Shiori took a few steps back, her eyes on the ball as she exhaled, before throwing the ball high up into the air, and doing a run up jump before spiking it into the corner of the opponent's court.

"HAH!" The opposing team's libero dived to receive the ball, but it hit his arm at a weird angle, flying off to the side. "Damn it! Sorry!" He gritted his teeth.

"Don't mind! Next one, next one!" His team chorused.

"SERVICE ACE!" The serving team cheered, high fiving each other.

Akaashi noticed that Shiori wasn't celebrating, which confused him. Normally those who have a service ace or won a point, they would cheer or cheer on the person who had gotten the point. But, she didn't have any expression on her face, all except for the concentrated one she had before.

The setter eyed the scoreboard, seeing that they were in the middle of the first set, with the serving team currently leading 12-7.

 _That's quite a gap. Shiori-san's already gotten two service aces,_ Akaashi analysed. Judging by the serves that she was doing, she was pretty experienced.

 _But this serve style…_ He found it incredibly familiar to him. He'd seen it before, many, many times, but it had been a long time since he'd seen it. It was different seeing it this angle, but there was no doubt.

It came back to him almost immediately when she served again, but this time it didn't go to any players of the court, but rather, the side of the court where it would have been an out.

"OUT!" The opposing team shouted, watching the ball.

The ball hit the ground, and the setter's mouth opened slightly. The ball had painted the line, almost as if it was calculated to go there. The umpire blew the whistle and his arm raised to the serving side.

"ANOTHER SERVICE ACE!" The serving team cheered.

Shiori took the ball and bounced it a few times, glancing at the scoreboard. It was 13-7.

 _There's no doubt._ Akaashi let a smile fall onto his lips as he watched. _I knew the names were the same but to think that it was the same person…_

He decided to stay for the rest of the match, getting his phone out to film the match. He wanted to get to the bottom of this.

Shiori got a few more service aces before she went back to targeting the libero, specifically aiming for him to get the ball up so that the game would resume without a service ace.

 _That insane control, that power…_ Akaashi didn't finish his thought when the whistle blew, signalling the end of the first set. Akaashi stopped the video recording and went to start a new one, taking a brief glance at the scores, _25-16, Shiori's team winning the first set._

He glanced at the time. It hadn't been long since he was there, but it was an intense game, since both teams had some intense servers, who were mainly one or two of the guys besides Shiori.

He began to film the second set, in which the Shiori's team won. The scores were around the same as last set. He finished recording and headed back down, checking the time. It was almost 6.30. He'd only been there for just under 30 minutes.

 _That was a quick game,_ Akaashi took one glance at Shiori, who was talking to some university students. He would have gone to tell her that it was a good game, but the look in her eyes when talking to her teammates about how good the game was what made Akaashi stop.

Instead, he went home, mind made up. It was around 6.45 when he got home. His mother was cooking dinner as he came home and greeted her, going straight up to his room to freshen up.

After dinner, he immediately went onto his computer and searched up Maebara Shiori, in the same kanji that he found her name to be written on her notebook. When he saw the results, he knew his hunch had been correct.

 _I'm surprised it took me this long to figure it out. I should have followed my hunch back then,_ Akaashi remembered when he heard Shiori's name when he first met her through Bokuto. He had thought of the female volleyball player that was only a year older than him, but brushed it off as it was probably a coincidence that there was someone with the same name.

 _But what is she doing in Tokyo?_ He questioned, clicking on a few articles. His eyes scanned through them, and he even watched videos from when she was in official matches.

He transferred the videos he took earlier and looked at them closely on the screen. It was definitely her, no doubt, but it was also different.

He went back to the articles, which had blurry pictures of Shiori from when she was in middle school, touted as the nation's best female middle school server.


	2. raison 2

"It's only been half an hour and you guys are already falling asleep?" Shiori sighed and crossed her arms, staring at Bokuto and Konoha, whose heads were bobbing up and down, trying to fight off the sleep that tried to eat them alive. "If we're going to do it at this pace we might as well have dinner first."

"Dinner?!" At the mention of food, Bokuto and Konoha were instantly reenergized, along with Yukie, whose eyes sparkled.

"Akaashi, I think you're the only sane one here." Shiori turned to the younger male, but when she saw his eyes also gleam slightly with expectation, she sighed, "Never mind."

"I'll start cooking, then. You guys continue what you were doing," She eyed Konoha and Bokuto, "And if you sleep, you won't be getting food." She warned, standing up and heading to the kitchen.

Said males rested their heads on the desk, frowning.

"But I don't wanna do this!" Bokuto whined, pushing himself off the desk, facing the textbook once again. He looked at the mathematical problems, not having the patience of doing any at all.

Akaashi put a bookmark between the English textbook and closed it, going to help Bokuto. Konoha, on the other hand, was looking through Yukie's notes on English, trying to see if he could find anything useful.

In the kitchen, Shiori sighed to herself, washing the vegetables for the curry she was going to make. It was the fastest thing to make, and it was easy. If she were by herself she'd cook something that wasn't curry.

 _What am I, a mother taking care of her kids? Grown up kids, too._ She chopped the vegetables, putting them into the boiling water on the stove.

It was at this time that Akaashi had come to help. Yukie was going to, but he suggested her to stay and watch over the two since he wanted to talk to Shiori about something.

"Is there anything I can help with?" The male asked. He knew exactly what she was making from the mess.

"Ah, yeah, sure. Can you grill the meat?" She pointed to a plate of marinated meat, which were all already cut into thick strips, then she pointed to the small grill on the side near the stove. She got some tongs for him, "Use these."

Akaashi had never used that type of grill before. It was easy to figure out, so he stood on the side waiting for the meat to cook while Shiori started making the curry itself.

"Shiori-san, how long did you play volleyball for?" Akaashi asked, turning to her.

Surprised by the sudden question, her brows rose and she turned to him, "Hm? A volleyball question right off the bat, eh…" She paused, scooping the vegetables from the boiling water and putting them into a strainer, "Up until middle school."

Akaashi turned over the meat strips, "That's pretty recent."

"Yeah, it is."

"Why did you stop playing?"

That question stopped Shiori in her tracks. She put the strained vegetables to the side and stared at the freshly replaced water in the pot, looking up back at Akaashi to answer his question. She had a small, hopeless smile on her face.

"I guess some things just don't stick."

With the raise of a thick brow, Akaashi's dark eyes slanted as his brows then furrowed ever so slightly. He still wanted answers, so he asked a different question.

"Did you find it fun?"

"Yeah." She nodded with a warm smile, "It was fun."

 _Was…?_ Akaashi took note of her past tense. _Doesn't she find it fun now?_ His mind went back to the match just last night, and it confirmed what he was thinking, that he wasn't imagining things.

 _I see. So it's like that._

Akaashi poked at the meat, seeing if it was done. It wasn't.

"I'd like to see you play." The second year spoke bluntly, his eyes going to meet hers.

Shiori's brown ones widened and her mouth opened ajar slightly, before she closed it and grinned, waving her hand in dismissal. "No way, no way! I don't even have a team, how could I play?"

"You could always join the teams that we currently have. I'm sure that, with your skills you would be able to fit in well." Akaashi took the now cooked meat off the grill and onto a new plate, placing the old one into the sink.

Shiori tensed as she followed the male with her eyes. "So this is why you were insistent on talking about volleyball," she muttered. With a sigh, she let herself relax, though the slight annoyance that her voice bore was still evident.

"So, Keiji, when did you find out?" She got the two packets of curry and put the powder into the water, mixing it until it dissolved. "From when did you know it was me?"

Akaashi observed her. He didn't want to irk her anymore if she was angry, but she seemed fine, almost done, even. Like it was something that would get inevitably talked about.

"When I first met you, I was surprised that you had the same name as someone that I watched in middle school volleyball tournaments." He started, walking so that he stood near the stove, but not close enough that he would be in the way. She glanced at him but continued to listen, every so often mixing the curry.

"You were only a year older, but you were already playing on the nation's stage. You went to Nationals every year you attended Kitagawa Daiichi, the only time the girls' team ever went to Nationals." He paused, "I didn't think much of it when Bokuto-san introduced you, but it was a thought I did have. I found out for certain yesterday."

"For certain? What do you mean?" Shiori questioned. It was an inquisitive question, one that asked him to speak his mind. Akaashi was someone with lots of thoughts, and it just so happens that he was someone Shiori was always curious about.

"I watched the game you played last night."

Shiori froze in her spot and she turned to look at Akaashi robotically, eyes wide, "You saw that?" Her voice came out more stable than she thought it would.

"Yes. I was watching from the middle of the first set." He explained easily.

Shiori pressed a hand to her forehead, sighing deeply. "Is that so?" It was like she was trying to reaffirm the obvious answer to herself. "I didn't see you."

 _Is it because she was too focused on the game?_ Akaashi thought. He realised that during that game, she didn't look up even once.

"If 'things just don't stick', then why do you keep playing volleyball?" The setter got the vegetables on the side after Shiori seasoned the curry.

Having her own words used against her was quite cunning.

 _As expected of Akaashi. You can't say anything without it possibly being used against you._ Shiori knew that he wasn't using it in a mean way, he just wasn't that type of person. But he seemed to be pushing the questioning a bit much for something that was from a while ago.

"Why do I keep playing volleyball?" She murmured that question to herself several times, as if it was a foreign sentence to her. In the end, she sighed, speaking in English to herself, "I want to feel that exhilaration again."

Akaashi only understood a little bit of what she was saying, making a mental note to find the meaning of the English word 'exhilaration' when he went back to the table.

 _So she wants something out of volleyball,_ Akaashi summarised.

"Ne, Akaashi, why do you want me to play? I've already been out of the Nationals scene for a while." She spoke softly, as if reminiscing an old memory. She mixed the ladle in the curry. "And the title that I held back in middle school doesn't apply anymore."

"It may not apply now, but knowing you, you probably did whatever you could to stay on top of that title." The setter spoke freely. When he glanced down at the shorter female, he was greeted with a warm smile, one that was a lot more heartfelt that others that she had shown. He unconsciously froze for a moment.

"I'm surprised you know that, Keiji-kun. I hate to lose." Shiori chuckled lightly, testing out the curry's flavour. She turned off the stove when it was done. She pointed to the bottom cupboard, "The plates are in there."

Akaashi got the plates, going to fill them with rice first.

"You probably analysed how I served yesterday, and compared it to back then, didn't you?" Even though she was asking, it sounded like she already knew.

He nodded once, handing her the first plate with rice. She took it with a smile and poured some curry on the other side where there wasn't any rice, placing it back on the counter.

"Well, no matter. Just…don't spread it around, okay? I don't want people coming up to me and getting on my back 24/7." Shiori sighed, "I don't want them to force me to play volleyball."

Akaashi handed her the second plate, "…is this why you moved to Tokyo?" He questioned.

Shiori took the second plate, "Part of it. The other reason was that I haven't stayed with my dad in a long while."

Akaashi didn't detect any lying, but he did detect that she wasn't telling the whole truth. However, he didn't pry.

"Miyagi has lots of people that know my face, especially those in the middle schools and high schools there. Even my childhood friend is famous. He's always featured in monthly volleyball magazines." She sighed to herself, placing the plate onto the counter, "I guess I didn't want to attract too much attention."

Akaashi understood where she was getting at, but he had a feeling that she wasn't the type to be severely affected by her nerves or the crowds and public. It was probably something that was more personal for her.

 _Well, I won't know until she says something in relation to it._ Akaashi's thought was momentarily paused when he handed her the third plate.

 _But yet, she still keeps playing volleyball. Even after she 'stopped' at the end of middle school, she continued, but with different teams each time, with different people._

The setter finished up the rice and just settled with handing her the plates, placing the strips of meat on top of the curry afterwards while she got the sauces.

As she was putting on the sauces, Akaashi thought up of a plan.

"Shiori-san, why don't you help the volleyball club with their receive training?" He suggested out of the blue.

She was shocked, astonished even, at the suggestion. "Doesn't that mean this information will spread to the others of the volleyball club?!" She hissed at him. "Bokuto will spread it like a house on fire!"

Akaashi kept his expressionless face, grabbing five spoons and putting them on the plates, "Then so be it. It's not like you're on a team now, so it should be fine, right? You're not in Miyagi so it should be fine. They've probably forgotten about what you did in middle school."

Shiori's eye twitched in irritation. Was he going to do what she thought he was going to do?

"I honestly thought that you were like those angels that appeared from the heavens. I think I'm wrong." She muttered under her breath in English. "So much for me thinking so highly of you."

Unfortunately, Akaashi heard all that and understood. He raised a slight brow at her, amusement dancing in his eyes as his lips curled into a small smirk. He reached into his pocket and grabbed his phone, putting on the copy of the video that he had taken during last night's match. He showed it to her, and after a while of watching, her eyes went wide, almost in realisation of what he was going to do.

"You should help us out with receive practice, Shiori-san." He pulled the phone away from her and held it in his hand, "Or else I might accidently press the upload button and upload it onto the internet." His tone was like normal, but there was a sense of tease in it. "Maybe I should title it: The former middle school best server Maebara Shiori, from past to present."

Shiori stared at him incredulously in shock. Was Akaashi threatening her? Was he _blackmailing_ her?

"Keiji. Are. You. Serious." She hissed at him.

"I am." He met her dark eyes with his own, almost accepting her staring challenge. He was going to hold his ground, because he had confidence that he would win this.

"Why would you do that? What benefit does that give you?" She asked him. "If this is a bluff, I'm not going to fall for it, Keiji."

"I'll upload one now, then." Akaashi opened his phone, unlocking it and going onto the internet. She reached forward to snatch the phone from him, but he took a step away, placing it back into his pocket. "It's up to you, Shiori-san."

He pulled away again when she tried to grab his arm. In the end she stopped and brooded as she stared almost angrily at the plates of curry.

Shiori thought of all the pros and cons, balancing them. There were enough cons to throw the balance off scale, especially when it concerned her personal life.

 _If it goes up, it goes up. But then my normal life will come to an end and those annoying magazines will come and find me again?! And wouldn't there be these invitations to all these training camps and whatnot, or to join a school or something? Oh wait, maybe not join a school but maybe a university club or something. Urgh! That will just be a pain in the ass so maybe not._

 _But on a side note, if I agree to Akaashi's conditions so that he won't upload the video, then that would mean that Fukurodani would know that a former nation's best was there. Wouldn't that attract a lot of attention? Especially if it's from someone like Bokuto,_ especially _if he spreads it like no tomorrow. But on a side note, if Bokuto doesn't spread it then that would be good, since I know the other people of the team are good at keeping stuff under control. But I'm not sure about the other volleyball club members, such as the benched and the ones that are just in the club without regular spots. Or maybe they won't even be there to see me play? That one's basically up to luck. They probably won't know who I am upon first glance—I'm all the way in Tokyo, not Miyagi. But there might be that 1 in 100 that might figure it out. But that's a higher uncertainty rate compared to if the video is uploaded online with my name attached to it. Akaashi is right in the context that they probably might not remember me because it's been 3 years, but I don't want to take any chances._

 _Hm…the coach will probably know. That much is certain, because he's the one supervising everything. There won't be too many people, but only people involved in the volleyball world—not deeply, though. Plus, Fukurodani has gone to Nationals the whole time Bokuto's been on the team. Doesn't that mean that I'll blend right in? But wait, what about my personal preferences? I'm only going to be helping with receives practice so it shouldn't be too much of a deal; I won't be standing on any stage or anything. Which means I'll be out of the spot light. That's good, right?_

 _Ah, I need to remember that I'm not going to be playing at a National level, but rather with Fukurodani's National levelled team. That's it. Nothing about going into competitions, or going in with a team or anything of that sort!_

 _But wait a moment, Akaashi, you little shit! I can't believe you actually blackmailed me! I thought you were a nicer person than this! I'm surprised he didn't just come up and ask, though. Oh wait, I think it makes sense that he did it this way—I probably would have said no if he asked otherwise. Those videos and him miraculously finding out that I played volleyball at a high level really makes good leverage._

 _Damn…for the sake of not having those videos uploaded then fine. They can't be uploaded…not_ yet _,_ _anyway._

 _Urgh. Fine. Keiji, you win. You probably already thought of all this before asking me. As expected of the one who can put Bokuto out of his emo modes._

Shiori sighed, having thought so quickly in 1 minute that she was getting exhausted thinking some more. She got 3 plates, stacking one on her forearm. With an exhale, she glanced at Akaashi, "Fine. I'll help with receives training."

She headed out to the dining room, where everyone sat. She placed the plates down on one side, helping to pack up the books and pushing them to the side so they wouldn't get dirty.

Akaashi chuckled lightly, exiting the app that he had pressed. He dropped the small smirk when he went out with the remaining two plates, finding the first part of the plan a success.

 _I'm not actually going to upload the videos, but it was a good bargaining chip._ He thought to himself, sitting down. _Even if she hates me for it, I'll do what I can._

It was just one honest, selfish reason.

The one that Akaashi Keiji had been waiting a long time coming.


	3. raison 3

égoïste

raison #3

* * *

 _So that's what 'exhilaration' meant,_ Akaashi had searched up the word Shiori used earlier. _She said, 'I want to feel that exhilaration again'._

He shut the dictionary and stared at his notebook, _this 'exhilaration'; is this the same as when somebody gets a spike in in volleyball? Is it like when Bokuto-san spikes a cross that doesn't get caught out by blockers?_

The setter glanced up. Shiori was helping Konoha with his revision and watching over how he did things, while Yukie was helping out Bokuto with explaining the same thing over and over again, trying to drill it into his volleyball fuelled mind.

 _Maybe so. That's probably the reason she keeps playing volleyball, away from the eyes of those with connection to the National stages,_ Akaashi twirled a pen around his fingers.

 _What problem does she have with wanting to go on a bigger stage, anyway?_

Shiori opened her phone, checking if she had any messages. Konoha was currently filling up some blank spaces on a worksheet, so she had a little bit of free time.

She opened an app that allowed her to converse with people who had the same interest as her: those who read Shonen Jump, or those who read manga and watched anime. It just so happened that she received a message from one of the people she's been talking to for a while about different series they both liked, their username 'MiracleBoy'.

Shiori's username was 'FlyHigh', the name of one of her favourite anime openings.

 _I still don't know why this person's called themselves 'Miracle Boy',_ Shiori let a small smile on her lips when she looked at his message.

 **MiracleBoy:** _ **Did you read the new chapter of the volleyball manga?! That was intense!**_

 **FlyHigh: I saw! It really was! I can't wait to see this animated! Season 4 where you at?!**

Shiori closed the app, putting her phone face down so that she could concentrate on what she had to do now.

"Ah—Aki, you're spelling that one wrong." She pointed to the box that read 'beginning'. "This one's supposed to have a double n."

"What, really?!" The wing spiker frowned, rubbing it out with an eraser, "Damn it!"

The female snickered at his reaction but patted his shoulder, "It's fine, you'll get it eventually."

"I damn hope this is on the quiz next week."

"Bokuto, that's wrong." Yukie sighed for the umpteenth time. They were stuck doing the same question for an hour after dinner, and it was beginning to annoy her that he wasn't getting it. Moreover, they were only on the 5th exercise's 1st question.

"But _how_?! I swear I'm doing it the way you're teaching me!" The owl frowned, looking up at her with a frustrated expression.

Yukie furrowed her brows slightly. She really did want to help Bokuto, but he was really testing her patience. Plus, working on the same thing for over an hour was taxing. She glanced over at Akaashi, "Akaashi…" She started.

The setter let out a small exhale and turned towards his captain, "What don't you get, Bokuto-san?"

As the volleyball captain told his vice-captain of everything that he didn't get, Yukie sighed in relief and excused herself to take a break.

Shiori only smiled at the scene. It was something that only Bokuto could do, and it was something that amused her. She was surprised Yukie was able to hold out for an hour or longer; Shiori wouldn't be able to do that. Her patience span was probably maximum 30 minutes on the same thing before she blew her lid. On especially good days, it'll be a maximum of 45 minutes.

The teen turned to Konoha, who had called her name. "Is this okay?"

"Oh, you've finished it." She stated, sliding it in front of her to take a look. She glanced at the answers, then started to explain what was wrong and why. "Aki, for this one, it's 'i' before 'e'." She pointed to another one, "And this one isn't spelt like that. It's got a lot silent letters, so it might be hard to remember." She wrote down the actual spelling with a red pencil and underlined the silent letters. "That's it. You got most of them right."

Konoha let out a sigh and went back to working on the worksheets.

Shiori glanced over at Bokuto and Akaashi. They were still on the math problem, but it seemed like there was some progress, as minimal as it was.

 _Ah, that's right, Akaashi wanted me to help with his English._ Shiori leaned forward, seeing what the second year was working on. It was another worksheet, similar to Konoha's, but harder in level. He had filled it up already. _It should be fine to take a look, right?_

As if he knew what she was doing, Akaashi pushed the worksheet gently in Shiori's direction as he was talking to Bokuto.

The teenager looked up at the setter, but he was still talking to Bokuto, not looking at her. Without another word, she took the piece of paper and scanned through it, making sure that she corrected any mistakes. Once she finished, she put it back where it was previously, going back to Konoha's work.

It was at that time that Yukie had come back, bringing a plate of cut fruit. "Guys, here's some fruit."

 _So that's why she was gone for so long,_ Shiori grinned at her good friend and cleared the area around which they were using.

"Ah! Thanks, Shirofuku!" Konoha immediately stopped working and started eating. Bokuto was the exact same.

"Don't make such a mess. I have to clean this up later you know." Shiori glance at the two of them, brows slanted.

Taking a piece of a variety of fruits, she glanced up at the clock. It was around 8pm now. "We've been at this for about 2 hours. How are you guys faring up? A bit longer or is this enough for today?"

"This should be enough for today." Konoha lightly stretched his neck, arms and back as he chewed. "I think I need to continue this the day after tomorrow."

"Same! I can't study and sit still the whole time!" Bokuto complained, waving a piece of fruit around.

"Okay, okay. Same place same time yeah?" Shiori met each of their eyes. They nodded.

"Oh! Oh yeah, Yukie, can you help me with my failing subjects? I completely forgot about them." Shiori laughed and popped a grape into her mouth.

"Sure thing."

"Thanks, Yuki!"

Akaashi wondered if now was a good time to tell them that Shiori would be joining them in practice. For receives, anyway.

He ate a strawberry, contemplating over his options. About an hour ago he had successfully gotten her to give the OK to helping out with their practices. But, they didn't discuss any details. Akaashi was a thorough person, so he would've liked to discuss this more with Shiori. Such as when she is able to come and help out. Of course, they could discuss it right then and there, but he didn't know if Shiori would want that and of course, how Bokuto would react since he was the captain and all.

Taking a few blueberries, he slowly put each one in his mouth, dark eyes landing on the one who sat opposite him. "Shiori-san." He said, grabbing her attention.

"Hm?" She turned to him, brows alleviated to show her surprise.

The rest of them looked to him.

"When are you available to help out?" Akaashi asked.

The volleyball captain, wing spiker and manager all tilted their heads slightly in confusion. They had no idea what he was talking about.

"Hey, hey, hey what's going on Akaashi?!" Bokuto turned to face the vice-captain, eagerly wanting to know what they were talking about.

 _Are they talking about his English work?_ Yukie and Konoha wondered. That was the only thing they knew that Shiori could help Akaashi out with.

Shiori knew exactly what he was talking about. She grabbed her diary and flicked through it to the week they were currently in, seeing which days after school she was free. "Tomorrow I have archery practice with the archery club, but I could probably come by the day after that. So, the day when we have our next study group."

"What are you talking about?" Bokuto grabbed some more fruits and almost angrily shoved them into his mouth, like a small child throwing a tantrum. He must have really wanted to know.

"Then come by at that time." Akaashi nodded in agreement. "I'll inform the coach."

Shiori was silent for a moment, before nodding, "Yeah, okay."

"What's this about a coach?" Konoha stared wide eyed at the setter and Shiori, "Is she going to help us during practice or something?"

Yukie clapped her hands together in realisation. "Oh! Is she going to play volleyball with you guys?"

"What?! Akaashi! You never told me about this! Why?!" Bokuto grabbed the setter's shoulder and pulled him back and forth.

Akaashi sighed, "Bokuto-san, it was decided just today." He sounded almost done.

"Decided what?!"

The second year knew that when Bokuto got like this, there was no pulling out. He wouldn't stop until he found out. Well, Akaashi was going to tell them eventually anyway, so he might as well.

"Shiori-san is going to help with our training." Akaashi put it bluntly.

The volleyball members were quiet for a moment, before an elongated "EH?!" came from them. They whipped around to look at Shiori, who sat there with a bored look, taking the berries and eating them.

Bokuto stood up and leaned over to Shiori, "Is that true, Shiori?!" His golden eyes were wide but they gleamed with passion and expectation.

"Uh…yes, it is." She fed him a strawberry, which he nearly dropped.

Konoha looked quite surprised, "How will you help out? We're the boys' volleyball team, not the girls'."

"Aki, does it really matter what gender the teams are?" Shiori rolled her eyes and flicked the boy's forehead.

"Hey!"

"Eh, Akaashi, did you want to see her play volleyball?" Yukie's voice, even though it sounded a little lazy and lax, had hints of mischievousness in it.

"That's not it, Shirofuku-san. Shiori-san will be helping with receives training." Akaashi elaborated.

"Receives training?" She raised a brow.

"Yes. When serving."

"Serving…?" Yukie paused for a moment, looking up at a higher space on the wall to remember something. "If I'm remembering right…Shiori had good control over her normal serves in the games she played in P.E."

"Normal serves?" Konoha and Bokuto had a funny look on their faces.

Shiori didn't say anything. She just continued to eat the fruits off the plate, as everyone had stopped eating to talk and think. She would occasionally feed the third years though.

 _Well…of course Yukie wouldn't know that I'm able to do jump serves. I didn't do any when we were having the girls' match. It would have been overkill since lots of them haven't played before. So I stuck to the normal serves. Still controlled where it landed though. Maybe I should have not controlled it so much…_ Shiori thought.

Akaashi picked up the last blueberry, "You'll be able to see her in practice the day after tomorrow." He ended the conversation there, not further explaining.

Bokuto stared at Shiori for a very long time, unnerving her when she noticed.

"Uh…Kou, what's wrong? You're staring." She dangled a strawberry in front of him.

He took it with his mouth and chewed, still staring at her. Once he finished the strawberry, he raised a brow, "Are you good at volleyball?"

"That's…a surprising question, Bo." Shiori shrugged nonchalantly, remembering how earlier that day Yukie had said she was good. Maybe Bokuto was asking because he wanted to see if she thought she was good. "I'm not sure. We'll see for ourselves in a couple of days' time, yeah?" She smiled at him, but there was a spark of challenge in her eyes.

"Oya?" Bokuto noticed and smirked, "Well, I can't wait then!"

"Hey, are you sure about this?" Konoha questioned. "Wouldn't want you to get hurt."

"Positive." Shiori glanced at Konoha with a smile. "Thanks for the worry, though. I'm sure it'll be fine. I'm only serving."

' _Only serving',_ Akaashi wanted to laugh at that comment.

He was sure that she could do as much damage as a service ace from Bokuto, or just short of it. His biggest concern was how Shiori would play in regards to where she would put the ball. She wasn't an idiot, so she knew the places that were hard to hit, that much was certain.

 _It'll be good practice for Komi-san, as well. If he can get Shiori-san's serves, then that would improve his ability as a libero,_ the setter took the last of the fruit.

"You might want to bring your P.E uniform if you're going to practice with them." Yukie commented.

"Yeah, ok." Shiori wondered if she should wear the volleyball gear she always wore for games at the sports centre, or if she should just wear trackies and a T shirt.

 _The actual gear might be better if I'm serving…_ Shiori was conflicted. _Maybe just a T shirt and the shorts from my school uniform? Urgh, whatever._

She got up and took the empty plate, going to rinse it off.

"Akaashi! Did you get her to practice with us for our sake?!" Bokuto grinned and slapped Akaashi on the back, "You know what's good!"

Konoha sweat dropped, "Uh…I don't think that's it, Bokuto."

Akaashi decided to not respond to Bokuto.

"Oh!" Bokuto suddenly stopped, owlish eyes going wide. The others stared at him, wondering what he thought of. His expression went serious; his brows knitted together and the intensity in his eyes was similar to those that he had in game.

"Do you think she has the skin tight shorts that the girls' wear?!"

Yukie smacked Bokuto, sighing with irritation, "That's not something to get serious about!"

Akaashi held his usual normal expression, but hit Bokuto on the back, hard.

"HEY!"

Konoha stayed silent, guiltily look to the side. He had honestly thought the same thing, but he was glad he wasn't vocal about it.

"Konoha! You agree with me, right, _right?!_ " Bokuto tried, rubbing the back of his throbbing head.

"Huh?! I, what, um," The Jack of all trades opened his mouth to disagree, but Shiori had come back into the room, forcing him to stay quiet.

"You know, you're really loud." She started, eyeing the ace.

"Eeep! Shiori!" Bokuto shifted slightly away from her as she leaned forward just slightly in his direction.

' _Eeep?'_ Akaashi and Yukie thought.

"Well, it's not like I didn't know you were a perv." Shiori snickered, lightly kicking his leg.

"Hey! I'm not a perv!" Bokuto weakly tried to defend himself, but failed.

"Anyway, we'll see what I wear. I might even _miraculously_ have the uniform on that day." Her tone held tease.

Bokuto froze for a moment, then turned to Konoha, hoping he was thinking the same thing. Konoha and the ace looked each other in the eyes for a long moment, then clasped their hands together over the table in a silent agreement or cheer of some sort.

Akaashi sighed, wiping his hands on a tissue. He looked over to his English worksheet, seeing it corrected with a red pencil. He had gotten quite a number wrong.

… _as expected, the more advanced worksheets are harder,_ he looked over her writing. She had even given him instructions on how to improve it. It was like she was making up for the lost time that she couldn't help him because she was busy with Konoha.

"You two, stop fantasizing weird things." Shiori sat down and pulled her own books. She had spent so much time helping the others out that she forgot to do her own. She needed to focus on literature and math.

 _Stupid comprehension questions that don't make any damn sense…_ she mentally cursed how people came up with such things.

It's not like she needed to look into everything that the author meant, i.e. the blues in the sky were cold and frozen, signalling just how cold it was. It meant just that, not some emotional crap like _the sky was blue and frozen because it was a depressing day for our resident main character._

Nope.

Shiori turned to Yukie, "Can you help me with this, please?"

"Sure!"

And so, the study session continued for a little longer, before they all bid each other goodbye.

* * *

Shiori sighed to herself when she saw all the things she used for dinner.

"…do I really have to clean all this?"


	4. raison 4

égoïste

raison #4

* * *

"She should be here anytime soon now!" Bokuto cheered, his hands in fists as he excitedly shook them. The other third years joined in on his enthusiasm, even Onaga (a first year) was shyly joining them.

"There's no helping them, is there…" Yukie sweat dropped, talking to the other manager, first year Suzumeda Kaori.

They had finished their school hours and had gone down to the gym, where they were going to start their daily practice. All the club members were present, including those on the bench. The ones who weren't regulars were warming up and helping out with other practices they were doing.

"Well, Maebara-senpai's going to be helping out, right?" Kaori said, "I'm surprised Akaashi-san was able to convince the coach."

Yukie looked to where the second year was—he was talking to the coach.

"You're right." She thought for a moment.

 _Is that what Akaashi wanted to talk to Shiori about back at dinner a couple of days ago?_

"Oh yeah, Koari, how do you know about Shiori?" Yukie suddenly remembered a question she wanted to ask. The first year hadn't met Shiori before, so she didn't know how she knew her. Sometimes the third year regulars would talk about her amongst themselves and Kaori might have overheard, but even Onaga knew, so she wondered what was up with the first years knowing.

"Oh, she's kind of made a name for herself. A lot of people know her, even in first year." Kaori explained.

"Eh? How?" Yukie was quite surprised. Shiori usually didn't do things on purpose to stand out, and she even said so herself that standing out was a pain in the butt.

 _But Shiori kind of stands out even if she doesn't try…_ Yukie thought for a moment, _just her being her is enough for her to stand out._

"Well," Kaori thought for a moment, "According to what I hear, she's a really down to earth and cool person. She even allows first years to call her by her first name. A cool beauty is what everyone's calling her. Plus, she helps out with lots of clubs that have lots of people from different year levels so we just kind of knew her from that too."

Yukie's lips parted in realisation. She nodded once slowly, "That makes so much sense. She doesn't like standing out."

The 1st year manager looked at Yukie with raised brows. "But she stands out a lot."

"I don't think she knows that." The 3rd year laughed, waving a hand in dismissal. "She doesn't focus on that kind of stuff and doesn't care for popularity. Shiori is just being Shiori."

The taller manager smiled at Yukie; it sounded like Yukie was very proud to have Shiori as her friend.

"I'm looking forward to meeting her today." Suzumeda said.

* * *

 _How do I feel today?_ Shiori stared at her fingers, wiggling them around like she was warming up her limbs. _I feel good, but…_

She was in the boys' volleyball club room, having been told by Yukie to change and leave her stuff there before coming to the gym.

After she put on her T shirt and shorts, she tied her hair and headed to the gym, making use of the distance between the club room and the gym with a light jog. Some students who were passing by stared at her as she passed and entered the gym.

"Good afternoon!" Shiori called into the gym. She changed her shoes and went in, greeted first by Bokuto who literally sprinted to her.

"Shiori! You came!" He cheered, throwing an arm around her shoulders, leading her to where the team had started to gather. He stopped halfway, looking at what she wore, pouting, "You didn't wear the uniform!" He cried, shaking her, "I thought you said you'd wear the uniform, Shiori!"

"H-hey, I never said I was going to wear it! I just said that I _might_!" She tried to pry him off but it didn't work. In the end he dragged her over to the others.

The others seemed a little crestfallen, but otherwise fine.

 _Are they_ that _disappointed I didn't wear those skin tight shorts?_ Shiori had a bland expression. _Wow._

"Well, here she is!" Bokuto announced loudly, patting her shoulders from behind. "The one who'll help with our receives practice!"

"Uh, I'll be practicing with you guys for a little. Hope you don't mind." Shiori bowed and nodded at those who had gathered; the coach and the managers.

The coach, Yamiji Takeyuki, stared at the female for a long moment, eyebrows furrowing slightly. It was awkwardly silent until he broke it, "Show us what you've got."

The team's brows rose, surprised that he had such encouraging words. Some of them grinned.

"Alright, while she warms up, do some spiking practice!" The coach shouted out.

"OSU!"

Bokuto ran off to start spiking, conversing with those from the team.

"Shiori-san, you can go warm up first." Akaashi came up to the third year, "When you're done just tell the coach and we can start."

"Alright." She nodded at him. "I'll just go over there to warmup." She tilted her head towards an empty area. Without another word, she went over to start.

Yamiji spoke to Akaashi, "How did you manage to find her?" He asked with curiosity. He only heard from the vice-captain that there was someone he wanted to help with practice. Those words alone from the setter were enough for the coach to say yes. After all, Akaashi was a reliable individual.

Akaashi's thought process, as fast as always, went through his options of telling the coach. He didn't exactly want to show the videos to him, nor did he want to state the real reason. So, he just said something that sounded like it could pass as a reasonable reply, while still holding truth.

"I saw her playing volleyball and thought she might be useful in our situation." Was his reply.

The coach didn't doubt Akaashi, but nodded and went over to observe practice. The setter also went to go and practice some spiking, or helping them set the ball.

Kaori and Yukie headed to where the other girl was, greeting her cheerfully.

"Oh, hi Yukie, Kaori." Shiori greeted with a smile. She was doing some dynamic stretches to start off.

"Hm? I don't believe we've met before, Maebara-senpai…" Kaori was quite surprised how Shiori knew her, and had the guts to address her by her first name.

"Just call me Shiori! Yukie's told me about you. I hope it's okay to call you by your first name." The third year wasn't really that apologetic, it was almost a habit that she would call others by their first names, sometimes interchanging it with their surnames. Of course, it was only with those who weren't any older than her. If they were, she'd use honorifics, knowing how uptight the society was about respecting elders. She didn't really want to get on the bad side of that. She was though, okay with people using her first name.

"Y-yeah, that's fine. It's nice to meet you!" Kaori grinned.

"It's nice to meet you too! I hope we'll get along well." Shiori beamed.

Kaori stared at her for a long moment, admiring how friendly and confident she was. "Me too."

Yukie noticed the brief pause that Kaori had and chuckled quietly to herself. She knew very well what she was feeling, as she herself was left like that when she first met Shiori.

"Okay, we won't bother you anymore so warmup well." Yukie shook a spare water bottle, "We also have spare ones so just ask if you need."

"Yeah, thanks, Yukie!"

* * *

While the boys' volleyball team were practicing their spikes, those who weren't directly acquainted with Shiori were surprised at her appearance, and furthermore when she was the Shiori that they've heard about around in school.

"Hey, isn't that…"

"Yeah, it's her. The girl from third year! I heard she lets underclassmen call her by her name, and she's a real beauty to boot!"

"If the managers hear you say that they'll get mad…"

"But our managers are pretty too! What if Maebara-senpai also became our manager?!"

"Ooh! That would be awesome! I would be so motivated for club everyday if she was!"

Bokuto and Konoha couldn't help but overhear the conversation of those not from the regular team. They had looks of slight irritation on their faces, but it was wiped off when they knew that they couldn't fight what the others had said, since it was quite true.

It wasn't their turn to spike yet, so they both crossed their arms and nodded in agreement.

"That's true, if she were our manager that'd give us more motivation." Konoha said seriously.

"Should we ask her?"

"She'll say no." Akaashi interjected, then went back to setting.

"Akaashi! Why?!" Bokuto cried. He didn't want to shatter the nice image of Shiori being their manager. Konoha brooded.

"Shiori-san is a third year. Even if she was our manager it wouldn't be good if she were to just become one now." The setter explained, setting another ball.

The team was silent for a while.

"That's true…" Hayato nodded a few times, "If she were a first year that would make more sense."

"Hnnngg…" Bokuto made an almost grumpy sound. He looked over to where Shiori was warming up, seeing her do some jumps. He saw her take a stray ball and start playing around with it, using a range of techniques from different sports to keep it in the air.

Saru followed his captain's gaze. It was quite fun watching Shiori just play around with the ball. It wasn't necessarily just volleyball, but some moves from other sports were allowed to be used in the sport. "Did she do soccer?"

"She helps them out if they ask." Hayato answered him.

"Bokuto-san, you're next!" Akaashi called, snapping the ace's attention from Shiori to him. He set the ball and Bokuto jumped, slamming it down powerfully on the other side of the net.

Where Shiori was, she heard the sound of the volleyball hitting the ground echo through the gym. The sound was quite intense, and it made a shiver crawl up her spine. She looked up for a second to see Bokuto land on the ground.

 _I see, so that was Kou's spike. What power!_ She smiled slightly and kicked the volleyball up into the air, then continued to do some soccer techniques. _That's probably more powerful than my serve._

 _Hm…now that I think about it, if his spike is this strong, wouldn't his serve be very strong too?_ Shiori wondered. _Boys are generally stronger than girls due to their body build, so I don't have any doubts that he's stronger than me in that aspect. But…I don't think control is his forte. Nor is switching it up, either._

The teen kicked the ball up into the air and started to do overhead passes, just to herself.

 _Ah…I remember learning this._ She thought. She paused for a moment and caught the ball in her fingers, staring at the ceiling.

 _Middle school, huh?_ She sighed a little to herself and began to do overhead passes again, this time hitting the wall with it and digging it if it went too low.

* * *

The court Shiori was on was the one where the regulars were practicing. Those who weren't regulars were still practicing what they could, but this time it had changed to receiving. Some of them were sneaking glances at the regular's court, wondering what was going to happen now that the guest was on it.

The regulars were on the opposite side of the court, separate from where Shiori was. She had a whole basket of volleyballs on her side of the court, dribbling them and playing with them while she waited for them to get ready.

Akaashi spoke to the team, silencing them from their excitement over seeing their friend play volleyball, "I suggest we start with two or three people on the court to receive."

"Eh? Not just one?" Onaga questioned.

"Shiori-san is serving, but she won't serve directly to us. It'll be better to have a few people to receive because her serves can get intense." Akaashi spoke honestly.

"Oh? Akaashi, you've seen her play?" Bokuto's eyes sparkled, wanting the setter to tell him what he saw.

Ignoring the ace, the setter continued, "Bokuto-san, Konoha-san and Komi-san, can you all receive first?"

The three mentioned nodded. Those who weren't on the court headed to watch on the side.

Akaashi observed Shiori. He had never watched her from this close when she served. He had only ever been in the audience, or watching it online or TV. He felt a small smile go onto his lips.

"BRING IT!" Bokuto shouted loudly, grinning. He got ready in a receiving position, following the others that were close by him.

 _Currently, they're in a V formation,_ Akaashi's metallic blue eyes flickered to his side of the court, then went back to Shiori's side.

"Alright, then." She stopped dribbling the ball and stretched her fingers around the ball's size, staring at it for a moment. She walked away from the court to ready for her serve. Stopping metres away, she got into the mood.

When she looked up to meet the eyes of the players on the other side, they tensed.

 _Shit! What is this pressure?!_ Konoha wanted to laugh, but he couldn't even let out a sound. A bead of sweat rolled down his face as he grit his teeth.

Bokuto's eyes widened slightly. The feeling he got right now from Shiori was similar to those he got from tournament players. It made his lips curl with anticipation. He was ready.

Komi, the libero, went a little deeper into his squat, a preparing himself for what was to come. He didn't know her skills, so he didn't know for certain how good her serve would be, but from the pressure she gave off, he knew he had to keep his guard up.

Shiori stared back down at the ball, and spun it in her fingers, knowing exactly which serve to do first. She already knew where the receivers were.

 _Hit it until it breaks._

She threw the ball high up into the air and did a run up and jump, smashing the ball down in a jump spike serve, directed between the libero and the side margin.

Komi watched the course of the ball, but it was until too late that he realised that the ball was going to serve the other side towards the area between Konoha and Bokuto.

 _A delayed swerve?!_ He thought, quickly trying to move his arms to the other side.

Konoha and Bokuto weren't able to react on time, letting the ball hit between them, barely skimming past Konoha's cheek.

The ball bounced off the ground with a hard sound, straight towards those waiting. Washio caught the ball and stared at the ball, his team, then at Shiori, who had gone to get another ball from the basket.

"Wha…" Konoha started. "What the hell—"

"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Bokuto screamed over Konoha, whipping around to Shiori. "THAT WAS AWESOME! SERVICE ACE!"

Shiori didn't smile at the compliment, only giving him a curt nod. She bounced the current ball a few times, going to where she would start serving.

Those on the other side of the court, those who were watching, were quite astounded. They didn't expect her to be a high levelled server.

… _this is different from middle school._ Akaashi compared. _They're sharper and more powerful. More controlled, if that's even possible._

Shiori did another serve, this time doing the exact same one to see if they could get it or not. For the sole purpose of receives practice, she was going to do one serve after another that were the exact same, until they were able to get it. If they got it, she would switch it up.

The next serve she did, Bokuto was able to get it, except he ended up rolling on the ground from the tough area in which he had to receive.

"NICE RECEIVE!" The team encouraged.

"Heh, who knew she had this in her!" Bokuto felt the fire inside him light, "BRING IT!"

Konoha gulped. The pressure she exerted was intense. How was she completely different on the court than she was in normal everyday life? It made no sense! It was like she was a completely different person!

Komi glanced at Akaashi then focused on the game, _man, how did Akaashi manage to find such a good server? I didn't expect it to be Shiori, though. But, this will be good practice for me! They're not as strong as Bokuto's serves, but the control and spin on them is much more, which makes them much more dangerous._

 _They're not as strong as Bokuto's serves, but they're still pretty strong!_ Konoha cursed inwardly. He remembered the words he told her a couple of days ago, how he didn't want her to get hurt. Yeah, well, now that he knew she could do stuff like this, it made him embarrassed that he'd said those words to her.

"She's not really letting up at all, is she?" The coach commented, nodding with approval. He was impressed.

"No, she's not." Akaashi responded. He watched her serve to them over and over, changing the serving type every few times.

 _I said that I'd do a few of the same until they got it, but…_ Shiori dribbled the ball again, then threw it up and hit it.

"AH! FRONT!" Konoha shouted. He was the furthest back on the court, but had tried to dive in to get the falling serve.

Komi was able to get this one, just barely.

"A jump float serve?!" Those spectating watched with awe.

Yukie blinked a few times, wondering if she was seeing right. Shiori wasn't smiling like she used to, nor did she even bother to cheer when she got a service ace, not even cracking a smile.

Was she unhappy? Or was she just focused? Or both? It confused her, because when Fukurodani got a good serve or a service ace, they would always cheer and encourage the one who had served, and they would be all smiles.

Here, it was different.

 _Shiori…?_

"Time to switch up!" The coach called. The next group went on, which consisted of Akaashi, Saru and Washio. They were tense, ready to see where the ball would be going this time.

Akaashi tensed up when Shiori stared straight at him before walking to her serving position.

 _She's going to serve to me. Is she going to take revenge?_ He was ready, but at the same time he wasn't. He had only watched her play in official tournament videos, and he didn't think that he would be able to experience it for himself, until now.

 _This pressure is like we're in a real tournament,_ he noted.

When Shiori served, she indeed served straight at Akaashi. But, the spin on the ball changed its course at the last moment, going in between the setter and the middle blocker. Washio was able to touch it, but it ricocheted off his arm in a weird angle, rebounding off to another court.

"Sorry! My bad!"

"Don't mind!"

 _This is completely different from seeing it in videos or spectating…_ Akaashi thought. He looked to where Shiori stood, ready with the next ball.

He readied himself, concentrating on how she was going to serve. There was no way to know which serve she was going to do until she actually hit it over the net.

 _As expected of the former nation's best female middle school server._


	5. raison 5

égoïste

raison #5

* * *

"Okay," Shiori exhaled a deep breath. She had served so many times that she was running out of breath. But, she wasn't done yet. She dribbled the ball and held it in her hands, looking up at the group that was on the other side.

They had changed from 3 receivers to 6 people on the court, emulating a real game situation. It was almost funny how they all shuffled onto the court, doing their best to receive her serve. Sometimes they would forget it's just training and spike it over the net.

 _They didn't do too badly. As expected of Fukurodani boys' volleyball team, in the top two of Tokyo,_ Shiori complimented in her mind. She made a mental note to compliment them on their receives. They were far above what she thought they'd be.

"Well, now…" She took a few deep breaths, taking a slow walk to where she would start. She hit the ball against the ground a few times, then looked up at the team.

When she saw how weary they were of her serve, she wondered if it took that much mentality to see through where her serves would go. After all, she couldn't serve to herself.

 _They've started to be able to get most of my serves, though sometimes they would screw up. Haruki's good. Though, he looks like he's in pain when he receives. Is it because I hit it in a tough spot or does he just make that face whenever he receives a ball?_ Shiori found her thoughts wandering for a brief second when her eyes glazed over the libero.

In response, he tensed, "BRING IT!"

"Oh?" The female volleyball player held the ball in her hands, spinning it several times in different ways.

 _I see. They're ready._ She could almost see the competitive spirit coming from each player, emitting off them like steam.

 _Well, if it's like that, then…I won't hold back._

 _Is she smirking?_ Akaashi noticed the ever so slight lift of the corner of her lips, amusement dancing in her eyes. That was the most emotion that he had seen out of her the whole time she was serving. It wasn't like when she smiled after getting a service ace in middle school; it was a complete 180 where something was coming.

Shiori pointed to the team with the volleyball, "I'm going to change things up."

Some team members questioned why she would be saying this now since she's been changing things up since the start.

The girl took a deep breath and threw the ball high into the air with her right hand, then did a run up and jump, smashing the ball straight to the libero on the other side of the court.

"I got it!" Komi shouted out. It had made a perfect line to him. As he got it, the ball hit his forearms at a weird angle, hitting the ground the next moment.

The team stared at the ball, eyes wide.

 _I should have been able to get that!_ Haruki's lips parted when he stared at the ball rolling away.

"Sorry! My bad!"

"Don't mind!"

Bokuto turned to Shiori, "You didn't do anything this time?" He questioned. Normally when she served it would serve in weird directions at the last moment, or she would hit it in really hard to reach places, or paint the line.

Shiori let out a low hum, "Did I?" Her voice held a teasing tone to it. "I did tell you that I was changing things up. It's up to you to figure out what I changed." She grabbed another volleyball and tried to regulate her breathing.

 _If I continue at this pace with so many jump serves, I won't last too long._ She bounced the ball as she walked. _But it's training so I might as well try and do what I can._

Akaashi stared at Shiori's retreating figure, seeing her halt and turn around, playing with the ball. He knew something was different when she served this time and he had a hunch, but he didn't know if he was right.

Shiori threw it up again with her right hand, hitting it so that it flew all the way to the corner of the court, painting the line.

However, the team knew that her serves would never go out, so one of them used an overhead pass to pass it to Akaashi, but it went a little wayward than planned, throwing the setter off. The ball hit the ground, rolling away.

"Sorry!"

"Don't mind…"

Akaashi stared at the ball for a moment, then his eyes went back to the female. _So I'm right. She's serving with her left hand. I don't remember her doing that in any tournaments. Is this something she was working on?_

Shiori met Akaashi's eyes, instantly noticing that he already knew. She turned around, grabbing another volleyball. When she did, she pressed the ball between her palms, as if trying to squeeze the life out of the ball.

She felt happy that she was playing volleyball, she really did, no matter how much she wanted to deny it. She enjoyed it much more than other sports that she would play, but yet, why wasn't she satisfied? She got to play her favourite sport. She got to practice training with one of Tokyo's top powerhouse schools.

 _Why…don't I feel anything? Where did that feeling go?_ She questioned herself. It was strange to her, the feelings she had when she was serving back in middle school versus the feelings she had serving now, were on completely different sides of the coin.

 _Have I lost it?_

She pushed her thoughts out of her mind, focusing on the training session. She did another serve, and another on top of another, waiting for them to receive it. By this time, they knew she was hitting it with her non-dominant hand, causing it to spin differently from when she first served.

 _What the hell?! It's not any different from her serving with her dominant arm!_ Konoha made a face when he received the ball, getting it up into the air well. It was one of the only ones that had been received well enough for them to have a comeback, especially if it was in a game.

Shiori panted, holding onto a volleyball. She didn't remember how many jump serves she'd done today. It was probably past 100 by now.

She put the volleyball back into the basket, "I'm going to take a rest." She announced. With her hands on her waist, she walked over to Yukie, getting a drink bottle from her when she handed them out to those playing.

Those on the opposite side of the court released a breath they didn't know they were holding, suddenly feeling much lighter than they had before the training.

"Those were great serves, Maebara." The coach smiled in approval. "How long have you played volleyball?"

"Quite a long time." She replied, trying not to sound breathless. She gulped down some water, wiping her mouth when it dribbled down her chin.

"Hey, hey, hey! Those were some good serves you got there, Shiori! When Yukie said you were good I didn't think you were _this_ good!" Bokuto threw an arm around her and shook her excitedly, like a puppy with a new toy.

"T-thanks, Kou…" She smiled small at him, "Only the serves though. Don't ask me to do anything else, I suck at them."

Akaashi was approached by Konoha, "Akaashi, how did you know she was good at serving? Those were intense!"

"Yeah, they were." The setter glanced over at Bokuto pestering Shiori with questions and compliments. "She's…" He would have liked to state the truth, but he didn't know if she would have wanted that. After all, she didn't really want everyone fawning over her former status.

"Oh yeah, Shiori! You know what, you remind me of that girl from middle school that got that award for being the best server!" Bokuto spoke loudly, letting go of Shiori.

Shiori gave him a frozen smile. _Am I caught out?_

Akaashi's brows both rose slightly at Bokuto's comment. Speak of the devil, he knew about that?

"She was like, _super_ good! And she could control her serves really well, just like you did! Hmm…what was her name again?" Bokuto closed his eyes and thought hard for a very long moment, rubbing his chin. When his eyes opened again, they were wide and the golden colour glimmered in shock, his jaw dropping, "Maebara Shiori?!" He exclaimed loudly, as if it was something shocking.

Shiori jumped a little when he was in her face, his hands on her shoulders. "Wait, don't tell me you're _the_ Maebara Shiori that got that award?! The server from Kitagawa Daiichi middle school in Miyagi?!"

Shiori's smile was stiff as she pried Bokuto's hands off. She sighed with irritation, "Bokuto, not so loud."

Akaashi headed over to them, interjecting, "Yeah, she is." There was no point in hiding it when everybody already heard, and she was right in front of them.

"Akaashi!? You already knew?!"

"WHAT?!" There were choruses of shocked exclamations around the gym, especially those who heard Bokuto.

 _Oh, great…now everybody knows. I_ knew _this was a bad idea…_ Shiori clenched her molars together, trying to remain calm. _Goodbye, sweet normal high school life._

"Yeah, I already knew. That's why I asked her to help out." Akaashi spoke nonchalantly.

Shiori shot him a look, knowing that he didn't just _ask_ her, he _blackmailed_ her too.

Now, if other people knew about this situation, they wouldn't think it was a big deal that Akaashi had video footage of her recent volleyball game. But, to Shiori, it was something that she didn't want to get out, not so prematurely anyway.

"Ah, so that's why. Good job, Akaashi." The coach came up to them, interest twinkling in his eyes. He turned to Shiori, who was busy trying to get Bokuto moving again after he had become a shocked statue. "Those were some amazing serves."

"Thank you, coach." She nodded her head with a slight bow. She felt slightly uncomfortable at all the stares she was getting, knowing that they were judging her based on her previous title.

"If it isn't so much trouble, would you help us again?" The coach asked, hopefulness in his voice. He was sure that the team would become much better at receiving strong serves if she did.

Shiori was put on the spot. She formed a stiff smile on her face, unsure of what to say.

 _I thought this was only a one-time thing?!_ She thought. She glanced to her side, seeing Akaashi's lips curl up into a slight smirk, one that she definitely caught.

The corner of her lip twitched, _was this part of Keiji's plan all along?! DID HE PLAN THIS OUT?!_

Bokuto had become normal again and patted Shiori's back, "Yeah! Why don't you?! It'll be fun! We get to hang out! You get to play volleyball too!"

Shiori made a face when she looked towards Bokuto's direction, one that was a mix of 'why', 'can you stop' and 'please don't force me'.

"We're playing volleyball, not hanging out." She deadpanned.

"Same thing!"

"Would you like a few days to decide? It's your third year after all." The coach nodded at her before going and talking to the others.

When he was out of the picture, the managers went over to give her their compliments, and those who knew her did the same.

"Uh…thanks, guys." She smiled at them and handed Yukie the drink bottle she used, thanking her. She immediately turned to Akaashi, "Ne, Akaashi, can I talk to you for a moment?" She smiled, but she didn't seem that cheery at all. It was almost threatening.

The setter had an idea of why she wanted to talk to him. He followed her outside, ignoring the calls of the people on his team.

"She looked kinda angry…" Haruki saw them turn the corner at the door, walking out of sight.

"…what did Akaashi do?" Konoha wondered.

 _Not_ kinda _angry, I think she_ is _angry…_

"Let's get back to spiking!" Bokuto handed his drink bottle back to Yukie and ran onto the court, asking a club member to set the ball for him.

Outside, Shiori stopped where she knew that nobody would hear them. Akaashi stopped as well, his arms held gently behind his back.

She looked at him with a displeased expression, "You knew this would happen from the get-go, didn't you?" Her words were accusing, but it didn't seem like she was too angry.

The setter nodded, observing her reactions. "That's because your serves are amazing."

"…flattery will get you nowhere." She sighed.

 _But it's true,_ Akaashi thought to himself.

"Akaashi, can you delete those videos?" After a momentary silence she spoke up, her hand going to her hip.

The second year stared at her for a long moment.

"No."

Shiori's brows rose, then she crossed her arms. "Why not?" She looked at him suspiciously.

"I said I wanted to see you play, didn't I?" His eyes bore into hers, unwavering. It was truth on his part.

He noticed her eyes slowly widen and her arms uncrossing, going back to her previous pose. She looked away, staring at the ground, deep in thought.

Finally, she looked back up to Akaashi. "Why don't you just watch the official tournaments on the internet? They should still have games from when I played."

"I do," He admitted. She raised a brow. "But you haven't played since 3rd year middle school, so I wanted to keep these. You've improved a lot."

Shiori didn't really know what to say to that. Akaashi was casually just admitting that he watched her games and kept a close eye on her when she played volleyball.

 _Is this what you call a 'fan'?_ She questioned herself. _Or just a volleyball enthusiast?_

"Okay, so let me get this straight," She lifted her hand, with only her index finger pointed up for the first point, "You want me to help with training because you think that I'm able to help out with the team's receiving?" He nodded. She lifted up the second finger, "You think highly of my serves and so you're getting me to help out because I've improved from the last 3 years?" He nodded again. She lifted a third finger. "And, you want me to play because you want to see me play." She stated it rather than made it a question. He nodded yet again.

She watched the younger one for a long while. He was staring right back; it was almost like a staring competition between them.

 _I don't think I can get him to delete the videos, especially when he wants to watch the game. He's an analyst, so I think he might have another use for them. It might even be able to help with their own serves._

 _On another note, he hasn't told me that he'd spread them this time around. Is it because some people already found out? That Bokuto already did and that's he's probably going to spread it? Hm…_

As if reading Shiori's mind, Akaashi spoke, "You know how Bokuto is. I don't think I can stop him if he spreads it."

"…what are you, a mind reader?" Shiori muttered.

"It was written on your face."

"Ugh…" She sighed and waved her hand in dismissal, sighing almost in hopelessness.

 _Bokuto's not the only problem here. There are others who now know, and there's no doubt that they'll spread it. Plus, they're from different year levels too, and they'll have different networks of friends. Plus, that doesn't even include those that they play volleyball with. There are most likely others outside the school who are acquainted with them, and if they tell them that I was here then it's going to become absolutely annoying when they spread that I've come to Fukurodani._

"What a pain in the ass." She hissed to herself.

 _Only a few people know that I've come to Fukurodani. Some others know I've gone to Tokyo. And then the others, well, all they know is that I've disappeared off somewhere._

She placed the hand on her hip, leaning on her leg.

 _From the get-go from when Akaashi had decided to film that game a couple of days ago, did he know that it would spread? If he did, then that'd mean that he already had everything planned out. This little secret (not that much now anymore) would have gone out either way._

 _Just thinking about it, what is he trying to accomplish? I can't really get myself out of this mess now, can I?_

She looked up to Akaashi, seeing him just staring back.

Since she didn't say anything, he assumed she was thinking, so he just waited.

 _Okay, now that I know I can't get out of this,_ Maebara kept her eyes on the setter, _should I just continue along? If I did, then things should be settled, or they would just keep spreading. But on the flip note, if I declined, there is a 100% chance that Bokuto would come annoy me repeatedly to help out with practice if I don't comply. And he will definitely make it so that the whole entire school hears, heck, even the whole of Japan, if I refuse. It'll probably be unintentional on his part, but it's a serious pain, just like those emo modes of his._

"…fine." Shiori rocked on her feet, her arms swinging behind her. "I'll keep helping out. That's what everyone wants, right?" She added after a moment, "That's what you were aiming for, wasn't it?"

"Great. I'll tell the coach then." Akaashi gave her a nod and turned around, going back into the gym.

 _Did he just ignore me?!_ Shiori made a slightly irritated expression, but it softened when she started to walk back slowly into the gym.

 _Geez, what the hell did I just get myself into? My adorable little kouhai Keiji should damn hope he knows where he's going with this._

She stopped at the entrance, looking into the gym. She saw people spiking the ball, receiving the ball, blocking the ball. She even saw people serving, and those who cheered when something went well.

Staring at them, she was reminded of those times back in middle school where she was in the same situation. Where she trained, where she cheered and where she learned. It was a pretty nostalgic feeling for her, and she didn't know she missed it until she watched them.

Her brown eyes landed on the regulars, seeing them do their best.

… _it's hard to believe I used to be like that too,_ she paused her thoughts, remembering what she'd been doing these past years when she wasn't on a team, _heck; I still do that even now. Keiji caught me the other day._

As she watched them play, her memories of being a regular on the team flashed back into her mind, causing her to grip the side of the door.

 _A team, huh…_

The ever so observant setter saw the look on her face. He wondered what was up.

She was different to Bokuto—he didn't know what she thought, because her thought process 70% of the time was all over the place and he didn't understand it when on a normal basis. But, sometimes, the other 30% was all it took for him to understand her at that moment. It was easier now than when he first met her, but he still had some trouble sometimes.

It was a little simpler when it involved volleyball, though.

Right now, she looked quite conflicted. But, he didn't know what she was thinking. It could be anything. In the situation leading up to the current one, he would think that she would be thinking about how he's forcing her to play volleyball and how he used the videos against her, somewhat indirectly spreading her former title. Those were his initial thoughts, in which he thought that he'd be on the receiving end of a harsh glare.

But, that wasn't the case at all.

He had finished talking to the coach Shiori helping out, and was going to relay the message to her. He approached her, seeing her just standing outside, not coming in.

"Shiori-san, the coach said that you can come in anytime for training when you're free." Akaashi said, taking notice of how hard her hand gripped the door.

Shiori nodded and got her shoes, changing them before heading inside and turning to him, "Yeah, okay." She glanced at the players once more, then averted her gaze to the setter, "I'm only helping with receives, right? I don't need to stay the whole time, do I?"

"Yeah, just receives." It's called receives training, but that's only for them. For her, it was serving.

"Alright." Shiori turned on her heel and went to where the coach was, beginning to discuss some details for her upcoming help.

The second year wondered if he saw right. He headed over to where his team were practicing blocking, forcing himself not to look in Shiori's direction.

It was a strange, strange thing he witnessed. It was minute, so much that if he had blinked he wouldn't have seen it.

 _Shiori's expressions are normally on the happy, playful, surprised, shocked or irritated spectrum. She's usually vocal about anything and everything unless said otherwise. Intense emotions don't usually show up._

 _So, what was that look for?_


	6. raison 6

égoïste

raison #6

* * *

After practice, those who were attending the study session came to Shiori's house. They collapsed onto the furniture, some even on the ground.

"I'm happy you guys are all washed up so you don't stink up the house." Shiori commented. She headed over to the fridge and took out a plate of onigiri, which caused everyone to look at her, "You each have 2 onigiri each. I'm going to take a shower." She unwrapped the plastic wrap from the plate and threw it away, going to her room.

She heard chorus of 'Ittadakimasu' erupt from the other rooms as she went into her own one, shutting the door behind her.

Shiori fished her phone out of her bag, seeing it light up, a notification from MiracleBoy and a few text messages from her childhood friends.

 **MiracleBoy: I just re-watched that volleyball anime! Season 3 was so good! I get thrills every time I see it!**

 **FlyHigh: You're so lucky you have the time to watch it! I've been busy this week so I don't have any time to watch but read.**

She checked her other notifications, responding to whoever had texted her.

 **Trashykawa: Yahoo, Ricchan! I heard from your mum that you'll be coming back soon! Is that true?! I haven't seen you in agessssssss! I miss youuuuuu!**

Shiori didn't even try to make a face at her childhood friend's message. She typed a quick response.

 **Ricchan: It's only for the weekend. It'll be pretty short.**

She opened up another text message, this time from Iwa-chan.

 **Iwa-chan: Shiori, tell us when you come so we can pick you up.**

Shiori cracked a smile. Iwaizumi always had such direct messages.

 **Ricchan: Yeah, okay. Tell Trashy not to overwork himself again, okay? And you, too.**

It was at that time that she got a phone call. It was her mum.

 _Geez, I'm sure popular today._ She chuckled to herself and accepted the call.

"Hey, mum!"

* * *

Yukie was incredibly tempted to grab Shiori's share of onigiri, but in the end she grabbed one and gobbled it up quickly. They were already finished, now sitting at the dining room table.

"You know, this place is really spacious." Yukie commented, smiling happily. She got up from the table and went to the sofa, flopping down onto it like seaweed. "And this is so comfortable!"

"I think Shiori said something about her dad being an animal doctor or something." Konoha remembered vaguely.

"An animal doctor? So like a vet?" Bokuto questioned.

"Somewhat. But I think he does it for all kinds of different animals, including the ones that you see on TV. You know how she loves watching those nature documentaries? Her dad sometimes appears in those too." The wing spiker explained.

"Oooh!" Bokuto brightened up, impressed. "So that's why this place is so nice!"

 _So that's why she loves those documentaries so much,_ Akaashi thought. _Because she loves nature and animals. Though, I think I remember her not trying to touch a cat when it came close to her…_

"What about her mum? I don't see her around." Bokuto questioned. "I've seen her dad sometimes but never her mum."

"My mum's in Miyagi. She's a science teacher." Shiori came into the room in some lounge clothes, fresh from the shower. She sat beside Yukie on the sofa.

"A science teacher? How come you suck so much at science then?" Konoha laughed.

"Well…" She sheepishly rubbed the back of her warm neck, "I tried, I really did! But it just never got through to me."

"And biology did?" Yukie giggled and sat back up, poking her friend in the abdomen. "You're a daddy's girl, aren't you?" She teased.

Shiori opened her mouth to protest, but closed it when she knew that she probably couldn't fight it. She did love her dad to bits and pieces (she loved her mum equally, of course), and his occupation was so much more interesting than boring science. Except, there was science ( _and math, ew)_ in her dad's field of work, but she wanted to completely deny it.

She got up, looking to the others, finding that their eyes were already on her. "We should start studying at least a little bit before you go home."

"Can't we have dinner first…" Bokuto whined, his stomach growling.

"Kou, you had onigiri just then. Save your stomach. I'll be making some stir fried udon later." Shiori went to her room to fetch her notebooks and some textbooks to work on.

"Udon?! YEAH!" The ace pumped his arms up into the air.

As the ace hummed a happy tune, they all brought out their study materials to begin.

Shiori came back out and plopped her books onto the end of the table. She headed to the kitchen and took her share of the onigiri, only to find that she only had 1 left.

"Yukie, you took my onigiri didn't you?" She bit into the rice as she stared at the manager, who nearly jumped from her seat.

Shirofuku smiled and turned around, rubbing the back of her head, laughing nervously, "You caught me…"

Shiori placed the empty plate into the sink, "You and your black hole of a stomach. What are you, Kirby?" She chuckled and headed over to them, eating the onigiri quickly before pinching Yukie's cheeks and pulling. "Punishment!"

"Ow…" Yukie rubbed her cheeks with a cute pout. "So mean."

"I'm not the one who stole someone else's onigiri." Shiori sang, taking her seat adjacent of Bokuto and Konoha. Yukie was seated on the other side of Konoha and Akaashi the other of Bokuto.

Akaashi flipped through his worksheets and got the one that wasn't due until the next day, the one he had been working on before. He took it out and handed it to Shiori, "Shiori-san, can you check this, please?"

"Yeah sure." She took it and looked through it, getting a red pencil and twirling it between her fingers. She corrected a couple of things, but otherwise, it was fine. She handed it back, "You're getting better."

"That's only because of your help." The setter took the sheet and gave her another one, "I have a few worksheets that I did, so please check them all."

"Oh…" She nodded at his impressive work ethic. "Alright, just hand them all over."

 _Wow…_ Yukie, Bokuto and Konoha thought.

"Anything else?" Shiori spoke in English this time, her voice teasing.

"No, that is all." The setter replied in English.

"Oh! Your pronunciation is getting better too. You been watching anything to help?"

"Only a few things."

"I'm surprised you know this much already. Even Yukie can't hold a decent conversation like this with me."

"If she hears you say that she will get mad…"

"No she won't!" Shiori laughed, grinning widely that one of her friends knew enough to talk to her in English. She leaned over the table and messed the younger one's hair. "I'm so proud of you!" She said in English.

Yukie, Bokuto and Konoha just stared at the two of them, wondering how the hell they were able to converse in such a complicated language.

"I think I heard my name…" Yukie looked to Shiori, silently asking her to elaborate.

"Oh, I was just saying that I can't hold English conversations with you yet." Shiori replied in their native tongue.

Akaashi nodded in agreement, a little dumbfounded that Shiori had messed up his already messy hair. It wasn't every day that anybody did that.

"Eh…"

"Well, don't worry too much about that. Oh, I also finished a few worksheets so can you look over them for me?" Shiori took out a folder and pulled out her worksheets for Yukie to check.

Bokuto and Konoha groaned to themselves. They hadn't done anything at all because they absolutely hated studying. They were glad that there were others there that would force them to.

Shiori glanced at the two who were now grumbling lowly and doing their work, looking like they were going to crack anytime soon from not moving (especially Bokuto).

She went back to looking at Akaashi's work, correcting it quickly. She handed it back to him, telling him that he did a good job (in English).

Yukie tapped Shiori's shoulder, "For this question…" And she proceeded to explain how Shiori could get the right answer.

* * *

"Shiori-san, you said you were making stir fry udon, right?" Akaashi asked, breaking the silence. They had been studying for about 30 minutes, and Akaashi and Yukie were the main ones helping the others out.

"Uh, yeah, I did. The ingredients are all on the counter. Do you know how to use the stove and pans and stuff?" She watched him stand up and head to the kitchen.

"Yeah. Leave dinner to me."

When the setter left the room, the third years all exchanged surprised glances.

"That was so cool…" Shiori nodded slowly, mouth forming an 'o'.

Yukie agreed with a nod.

"Akaashi's so reliable." Konoha commented with a grin.

"SO COOL!" Bokuto remarked with excitement.

 _I can hear them…_ Akaashi prepared the dish.

The kitchen wasn't technically in another room, it was in the same room they were in, just parted differently. He could even see them at the dining table studying and talking to each other. It only seemed like another room because the kitchen and dining was in an elevated area whilst the living was on a lower area by a couple of steps inside the house. It was pretty unique.

However, even he could hear what was going on down there, those down there weren't able to hear what was going on up in the kitchen.

As he chopped the vegetables, he looked to where Shiori was—she was staring angrily at the worksheet, listening to Yukie as she told her how to do it.

He was sure that she would be mad at him for wanting her to play volleyball, since it seemed a sensitive topic. But, she didn't even seem to be as mad as he thought she'd be.

… _did she want to play?_ The second year wondered to himself, remembering the expression she had earlier. _What did that look mean?_

He couldn't describe the expression that Shiori wore at that time. It was a mixture of so many things.

If he recalled correctly, she was watching everybody play.

He cooked the vegetables first, letting them fry on a medium high heat on the pan.

… _that bothers me,_ Akaashi realised. Of course, his worry stems from the fact that they're friends, but also because he wanted to fix it.

It reminded him of Bokuto's emo modes; where he'd have to deduce what he was feeling at that time, or find out which weakness out of the many that were affecting him. The reason he wanted to help Bokuto was because his top plays were satisfying to watch.

The reason was similar with Shiori as well. To put it very simply, he wanted to see her play. Like Bokuto, she was very satisfying to watch when she was in top form, especially when she served.

The first time he saw her play was when he was in his last year of elementary school. Shiori was only in her first year of middle school at that time, but she had become a regular and advanced all the way to nationals with the team. It was on that stage that he saw the buds of what would become her well known serves, broadcasted on TV.

How she played had captured him. He didn't know how and why, but his eyes would be drawn to her. The way she served was different to how others did—she was calm, collected and quite intimidating, always forcing those on the opposite side of the net to become wary, and then she would unleash a serve. The serve itself was quite intense, and the run up was quiet, like the calm before a storm.

Why Akaashi was watching the girls' games, was because it was in the same program as the boys' team he was watching. It just so happened that he watched it too.

From then on, he had gone on to watch all the official games she played in when she was in Tokyo, wanting to see her play again. She was a competitor from Miyagi, going to Kitagawa Daiichi, which was known for their strong boys' volleyball team. The girls' volleyball team was only strong the years she was in it, mainly due to her strong serves that would throw off opponents and rack up points.

And so, he went to watch her live from the stadium when he was in first year middle school. Seeing the real thing and seeing it on the screen or TV was completely different. The atmosphere was more intense than he'd thought it to be, but he was excited, even if he didn't show it on his face.

When she went onto the court to unleash her serve, it was more refined than when he saw it last. It was a service ace, one that had painted the line, causing the cheers of the audience that supported Kitagawa Daiichi to raise their voices with passion.

The smile on her face she had then, was completely different to what she had now. Back then, there was the excitement, the happiness and the cheer. But now, it was like there was no joy left in her service aces, no thrill that she felt anymore.

But of course, Akaashi didn't know how she felt nor know what she thought. He only noticed her plays had changed, yet were still the same.

In Shiori's 2nd and 3rd year of middle school, she consecutively got the best server award in the nation for middle school girls', which was a huge feat that was news across the whole country.

But when she had disappeared off from the volleyball world for around 3 years, he was quite shocked. He thought she'd continue off from middle school and continue to high school, reaching more heights.

So, he didn't expect to find her in Fukurodani. Heck, the first thing he'd thought of Shiori when he met her was that she was familiar, and even her name surprised him. But, he found it impossible that the fleeting hope in his mind was right, so he brushed it off.

' _She wouldn't come to Fukurodani'_ was his thought.

 _I was wrong,_ he added the udon into the pan. _She was right in front of me this whole time._

"How's making the udon coming along?" Shiori had escaped from Yukie to get some water, quietly going up to the kitchen. She sniffed the air, her mouth-watering, "That smells so good! Akaashi, you should cook more often!"

The setter didn't say anything to that, closing his mouth so that he wouldn't say anything unnecessary. After all, she was the subject of his thoughts for the whole time he was cooking. He wouldn't want to slip up.

Shiori got her glass of water and went next to the setter, looking at the udon that was cooking. "That looks so good."

"Thanks." He murmured.

She stood there, watching him cook, then went to take out a few bowls, placing them next to the stove. Akaashi glanced over, giving a nod in thanks.

 _She's taller than I thought she was…_ Akaashi suddenly realised, matching their heights. She reached around the height of his ears.

As if in response to that thought, Shiori looked up at him with a questioning look, eyebrow raised. "I'm not _that_ tiny." She hit him lightly on the back, "What's with that look?"

"AKAASHI! IS THE FOOD DONE YET?" Bokuto shouted from below. His stomach was already growling when he bounded to them, leaning over the counter. He pouted when he saw them together, "Akaashi! Shiori! What are you doing together—"

"I'm watching him cook."

"Cooking."

Akaashi and Shiori spoke at the same time, giving Bokuto completely expressionless looks.

"O-okay, I get it…ANYWAY! FOOD!" He looked over to the pan and his eyes sparkled.

Akaashi left out a light huff and turned off the flame, transferring the portions onto the plates, handing Bokuto the first one to shut him up. The others had come up when Bokuto went down.

"Ooh! This looks great." Yukie nearly looked like she was going to drool.

Konoha grinned and thanked Akaashi.

"Oh yeah, chopsticks." Shiori snickered when she saw Bokuto wail about forgetting to get chopsticks to eat with. To help the owl, she got the utensils and gave it to him, watching him eat happily after.

"Here's your share." Akaashi placed the plate in front of her as she handed everyone their chopsticks.

"Thanks!"

Once she tasted the food, she was just like everyone else, letting out an amazed 'wow!', then looking up at Akaashi with sparkly eyes.

"This is so good! How do you even?!" She smiled at the taste. "Teach me, Akaashi- _senpai_." She leaned towards him, teasing him with a grin.

The look on Akaashi's face when she did that was priceless. His almost non-expressive face had changed to a look of surprise as he sat down. It was gone after a few seconds after his surprise settled in, before he let out a light sigh.

"Hearing you call me 'senpai' even as a joke is so weird…" He stated, staring straight at her with his brows slanted.

She only grinned, "In all seriousness though, your cooking is good. Teach me sometime."

"Yeah okay."

"Me too!" Yukie had already finished her plate and went to the kitchen for more.

"Oh yeah, speaking of teaching people stuff," Konoha spoke up, having just finished his plate too. He handed it to Bokuto to get more for him when he went after Yukie. "Shiori, can you teach me how to do better serves?"

Shiori's brows rose in astonishment. It was the first time someone from her high school had asked her to help them with something like that. She was a little shocked at first, but composed herself.

"Oh, um…yeah, okay." She rubbed the back of her neck, feeling a little bashful. "I'll be helping you guys out anyway so…"

 _She's being a little shy?!_ Yukie, Bokuto and Konoha stared at her with bewildered expressions, having seen an incredibly rare emotion. Normally she was confident and playful, so it was pretty shocking to see something apart from her normal attitude.

Akaashi glanced at the third years. They seemed to have momentarily stopped what they were doing, staring at Shiori, who had begun to eat again. They recovered and came back.

 _It's not that much of a shock, is it?_ Akaashi wondered.

"Org yueah! Shiahri," Bokuto spoke up, his mouth full of udon. Knowing it was her that he was talking about, the female volleyball player looked to him.

"Eat first then talk." Yukie scolded.

Bokuto took some time to chew and gulp his mouthful, before continuing. "Shiori, I forgot to ask this earlier but why aren't you playing for a team?"

Shiori's chopsticks halted, letting the udon slip out of its clutches. She quickly recovered herself from the owl's question, "Ah, well…about that…" She trailed off.

She debated whether or not to tell him what she told Akaashi. But, the setter didn't ask for why she wasn't playing for a team, but rather why she wasn't playing volleyball. It was a little different, but those difference in answers, he'd pick up on.

"Well…teams are six people, right? I haven't found any others to play with. I do play some games with temporary people though." Shiori answered.

"Nah, I mean on a team at school! You know, the girls' volleyball club?" Bokuto shook his head.

"…oh."

 _Shit, what am I going to say to that?_ Shiori pressed her lips together.

"Well, I wouldn't be a regular anyway so…" Those words came out before she could stop them, so when she finally caught herself, she trailed off, glancing at the dumbfounded looks on everyone's faces (except Akaashi's), "Ah, I mean, I wouldn't be a regular now because I haven't been practicing with them. Like, I'm in my third year now, but Inter High's soon, so they'll be practicing for that, and I don't just want to come in and break the formations or anything…" She tried to clarify, trying to cover the slip up she made earlier.

"Oh yeah!" Bokuto sat up straight, like he just remembered something, "Inter Highs are soon!"

Shiori nearly heaved a sigh of relief that Bokuto changed the topic so quickly. She didn't want to talk about why she wasn't on a team.

"Akaashi! I need to practice more straight spikes!" Bokuto clenched his hands into a fist, a fire burning in his eyes. "I need to beat those damn blockers!"

"Hah?" Shiori stared at Bokuto with a raised brow, then realised what he was talking about from the context. "Ah! It's that school that kept blocking you, right?" Kou had mentioned that there was a specific team that kept blocking him from doing his spikes, and he got really pissed about it that he was training up his straights since his crosses kept getting stuffed. He had complained to Shiori about it for a whole day whenever he got time to talk to her.

"Yeah! I'm definitely going to beat them this time!"

Shiori cheered for him, clapping her hands together a few times.

"Do your best, _ace_!"


	7. raison 7

égoïste

raison #7

* * *

Akaashi glanced at Shiori from the side of his eye. He was sure that she had said something she didn't want to say, that's why she tried so hard to cover it up earlier.

After they'd finished dinner, they studied for a while and now they were on their break. It was closing in on 9pm.

"Ah, I'm beat." Konoha leaned back on the chair, his head hanging back. "I can't do anymore."

"Same…" Bokuto's voice was somewhat muffled, as his face was stuffed in the notebook.

Yukie poked Bokuto, "Finish the worksheet before going home."

"I feel like you two are always getting tired around the same time." Shiori directed her comment at the wing spikers, putting down her pen. She had just finished a math problem. "You guys can go home to rest if you want."

"Yeah, okay." Konoha yawned. He started to pack his things.

Bokuto let out a snoring sound before being slapped awake by Yukie, who took her notebook out from under him just in case he drooled on it.

"Uwah?!" Bo snapped awake, staring at the manager.

"Kou, if you're tired, just go home and sleep. You can finish the worksheet later." Shiori reached over to him and gently pet his head, "Okay?" She said sweetly.

Bokuto nodded slowly, his eyes going somewhat droopy. Shiori smiled and continued to pet him; she found his hair so interesting. Bokuto's cheeks became a dusty pink when he found himself liking her touch, pushing his head into her hand as a relaxed smile went onto his face.

Once she realised what she was doing after long, quiet stares from the others, she stopped and helped him with packing his things, a neutral expression on her face to cover her 'oh my Goshiki what did I do'.

"Why did you stop? That felt good." Bo grabbed his bag and sloppily put it around his shoulders, standing up and heading to the door. Konoha did the same, and even Yukie.

Shiori only laughed lightly at his comment, but didn't respond to it. She turned to Akaashi, "Are you going to go too?"

"…not yet, I still have some questions I want to finish." The setter replied. He stood up when Shiori stood up so that they could say bye to the others when they left.

"Have a safe trip home, okay you guys? Don't fall asleep when walking." Shiori looked at Kou when she spoke those last lines. It happened once and he fell on her, so she had to half carry him and half drag him to their destination.

"Mhmm." The ace grinned and lifted his arm, hand in a fist. She fist bumped him. "Goodnight! I'll see you two tomorrow!"

"See ya tomorrow!" Konoha fist bumped her and gave a lazy wave, smiling crookedly.

"Goodnight!" Yukie and Shiori hugged, giving each other grins before she went to bid the vice-captain goodnight.

Akaashi and Shiori waved as they left, seeing them go off.

The female closed the door and went back to the dining table where they were doing their work. "Are they English questions?"

"Yeah."

"I'm surprised you're doing harder work than us in English." Shiori commented, taking a seat at the end of the table.

Akaashi moved his things so that he sat adjacent to her. "That's because I'm in the advanced class. It's kind of compulsory." He didn't mention that he did the more advanced stuff because he had finished the easier ones.

Shiori made a blank face, before patting the boy on the back, "I feel kinda sorry for you, Keiji-kun. You have my newfound respect for having to do tough stuff like this every day."

"It's alright." The setter looked down at his English sheet, then to her. "For the hardest subject, I have the best tutor, so it's alright."

It took Shiori a moment to understand that he was referring to her. When she did get it, her brows shot up and her lips parted in surprise.

"Geez, Keiji! You're going to make me blush!" She laughed, lightly hitting his back.

 _Weren't you the one who said 'flattery will get you nowhere?'_ Akaashi questioned to himself.

"Anyway, which ones did you want help with?" She smiled.

He pointed to the questions that he wasn't able to answer. "I'm not sure how to answer them in English."

"Hm…okay." She looked at the sheet and formulated some examples, explaining them to Akaashi in simple terms, trying to make it as easy as possible.

After all, she couldn't let him down now that he said she was the best English tutor.

* * *

"You're done!" Shiori patted the boy on the shoulder, "Good job!" She stood up to go get some water for the both of them.

"Thanks as always for your help."

She nearly jumped 5 feet into the air when she heard his voice behind her. She didn't even hear him follow her.

"That's not good for my heart…" She muttered, exhaling stressfully. She filled two mugs with warm water and handed one to her friend.

"Shiori-san," He started.

"You want to ask volleyball related questions, right?" The female raised a brow at him.

He looked mildly surprised but nodded.

"I thought so," She chuckled, "Every time we're in the kitchen I feel like we're always talking about volleyball."

 _That's true…_ the second year thought.

"So? What did you want to ask me?" She asked, taking a sip of water.

Seeing the stunned look on the boy's face at her question, she elaborated quickly, "You're always asking me about volleyball related things, and you even went to ask me to help with your team's practice and stuff—well, more like blackmailed but like, you know—and, uh, so, now everyone kinda knows who I am…"

He stared at her for a long moment.

With a big sigh, she said, "I mean to say that you can ask me whatever. Most of the secret's already out anyway. What difference does it make if you ask more?" She rubbed the back of her neck, looking away.

"If you say so."

Shiori looked back at him, "Oh yeah, you _do_ know that blackmailing people isn't the right way to go, right?"

"You wouldn't have agreed if I didn't," He leaned his back on the counter, drinking some water.

Shiori frowned, staring at the water in her cup. She could almost see the steam fog up her vision. "Yeah, I wouldn't have." She added, "But I did have fun. So, I'll give you my thanks."

Akaashi was silent for a moment, staring at his reflection on the steel fridge. He then spoke after a moment, "You're too nice of a person, Shiori-san."

"Huh?" She looked up, wondering if she heard right.

"If I can ask, is middle school the reason you stopped volleyball?" He swirled the water in his mug, turning to her.

She didn't meet his gaze, only staring at the water. "You know, Keiji, you're awfully nosy about situations that involve me and my volleyball." She mused.

"Guh." He made a face, one that resembled the ones where he realises that Bokuto's going into his emo mode.

She laughed lightly at his reaction. "Don't make it sound like I've caught you red handed."

He let out a light sigh.

"Well, I don't mind too much now. It got me kind of freaking out when you first approached me about it, but now I don't mind. People are bound to find out anyway. So, what's better than to hear it from the person themselves?" She closed her eyes for a moment, resting them. After the intermission, she opened them again, flickering her dark eyes to his slate grays. "Considering you watched all my official matches, I'm sure you'd want to know the reason why."

She was low key hinting that he was a fan of hers. That was the conclusion she had drawn when she pieced together what he had told her.

"…I do." He spoke truthfully. "I'm sorry that I'm asking too much."

She smiled, waving her free hand. "It's fine."

She pushed herself off from leaning against the counter, walking slowly to the lounge room. Akaashi followed behind her, watching her turn off the lights in the kitchen and dining room.

She sat down comfortably on a beanbag and crossed her legs while Akaashi sat on the sofa.

"To answer your question, yes, it is middle school that made me stop playing volleyball competitively." Shiori confessed. "I'm sure you saw in the official matches, Akaashi, that the roster was different for the last year, my third year."

Keiji was silent, listening to her words. He recalled back a few years ago, then it came to him. "…you weren't one of the regulars. You were a pinch server." It was then that it reminded him of just earlier, when Bokuto asked her a question, and she replied with 'I wouldn't even be a regular anyway'.

Shiori chuckled, but it sounded forced. "That's right. I was kicked off and became a pinch server." She paused, then shook her head, "I'm not saying that being a pinch server is a bad thing, but rather, it's disheartening when I wasn't part of the regulars anymore. Of course, I was still quite happy to have been in the game."

She glanced at Akaashi. Even with his normal apathetic expression, his eyes showed what he wanted to ask.

"Why, huh…well, I'm sure you've heard that there were rumours of the coach removing me from the starting line-up because I was bad at other plays, right?"

He nodded.

"That's not exactly true. Back then in middle school…the coach didn't remove me at their will. It was actually the team itself."

"Huh?" He held a look of shock.

"I know right? I was shocked too. In the end, it wasn't even the coaches' decision, but the team's. Well, that was only for the very last tournament. The other one I was a regular. But even then, it was a little bit complicated."

She took a pause, "All plays besides serving I'm mediocre in. I can hold my own, but there's nothing spectacular about it. Nothing flashy. But even so, I became the most well-known within Kitagawa Daiichi's girls' team, for serving, even though there were some good players. To put it simply, they kicked me off because they thought I sucked. Their expectation of me was too high, and they simply just threw me away after that."

"Expectation was too high?" Akaashi questioned.

Shiori nodded, a contemplative smile on her lips. "Blocking, spiking, receiving."

It was then that Akaashi understood.

"They expected me to be the best, the forefront, the leader. I wasn't even the captain, but the captain was relying on me. First of all, they jabbed me with comments that would suggest for me to improve something, and I would do my best to. I improved, but it wasn't enough for them.

"They themselves were working hard to keep up, and I did too, because I loved volleyball, and I wanted to go to nationals again. I don't know why they thought that I wasn't working as hard as them, but that was the main reason. They couldn't kick me off fully or else their offensive would weaken, so they knew to keep me on the bench.

"I heard this second hand from one of my friends, but he had overheard some girls saying that it wasn't fair that I was practicing with him and my other friend, since they were from a different team.

"What they didn't know was that to improve, it's better to have a lot more range in what you're receiving to what you're given." Shiori sighed after her long little speech, taking a sip of water.

"In essence their underlying reason was jealousy." She sighed, "Though that may only account for 0.01% of their reasoning, I feel. But there were times that it was really hard to sync up with them. They also got really frustrated at me since my spikes were nothing like my serves."

Akaashi let the reasoning sink in. It seemed like a normal reason, something that wasn't uncommon. But for them to kick her out like that, it was, how would he put it: premature, or immature.

He remembered, apart from her serving, Shiori really was just normal at all the other basic plays. He was quite confused as to why she couldn't do spikes like her serves. She didn't even jump as high, either.

 _So that was the result of not synching up with her team?_ Akaashi thought with a poised look.

"You're probably thinking now: 'so that was the result of not synching up with the team', right?" Shiori laughed when she saw Akaashi's expression change, just slightly, that confirmed her suspicions.

She took another gulp of water and placed the mug down onto the glass coffee table, "I know what you're thinking. They thought the same as well, especially since we had goals to end up back in nationals.

"As much as I'd like for my spikes and the jumps to be similar to the jump and hit when I serve, it's a little harder when I'm not the one handling the ball. I know it's a strange thing to say and hear, but that's the hard truth to it. There was only one setter that was able to sync up to me, and that was the senpai in the year level above at that time. But after, when she graduated, the then current one wasn't able to. We did practice lots though, but it was always hit and miss. It's not easy to sync up with people. You of all people should know that, Akaashi." She leaned back on the beanbag and looked up at the ceiling.

"Well, anyway, that should be most of it." She lifted herself back up only to see his concentrated face, like he was thinking hard about something.

"Hm? What are you thinking about now?" Shiori tilted her head slightly.

"So you don't want to be on a team because of that?" Akaashi questioned.

Shiori didn't respond for a moment, thinking of what to say.

In essence, almost being shunned from the team due to the gap of expectation and reality was pretty hard on her at that time. It did put her off from being on a team for a while, but she kept at it with different formations of teams at the sports centre after moving from Miyagi to Tokyo.

"It's not that I don't want to be on a team, Keiji." She tapped her fingers against her thigh. "But rather, I'm not sure if I would fit into a team."

"How so?"

"If you saw any more of those games I played in the sports centre, you would see that it's kind of hard to be my teammate right now."

The setter leaned on her legs, " _Right now_ , as in how you're unable to find that exhilaration that you once had? That has nothing to do with being a good or bad teammate."

Upon hearing his words, Shiori was reminded of when she had spoken to herself when he first asked her about volleyball in the kitchen.

She cracked a strained smirk, "So you heard that." She stated. "Surprised you figured out what I meant and said."

"I searched it up."

"…yeah, okay, okay, but like, you got me there. I did say something along the lines of that." She leaned back again. Her voice softened, "Keiji, do you know that feel? Have you ever felt it before…that feeling when you do something successfully, be it a block, a spike or a serve, and you score a point, and you're so ecstatic that you cheer along with your teammates?"

He didn't reply, but he did know that he cheered with the team when they scored a point, or if he scored one. They were good moments. He did get what she was getting at.

"I'm trying to find it again." She reached her hand up to the ceiling, like she was going to grasp something, but couldn't grab it. She flexed her fingers and then pulled her hand back towards herself, letting it flop to the side.

"I can't seem to find it though." She sat up on the beanbag. "That's why I wanted you to delete the videos. If you had posted them, people would hound me to play volleyball for their entertainment. I can't do that yet if I can't find that thrill in it."

"Even when you're practicing on a daily basis?" Akaashi questioned. He now got the reason as to why she didn't want him to post the videos. It was a simple reason, really, and may not seem like much to the average person, but it made sense if it was someone who had gone through what Shiori did.

"…should I call the police on you?" Shiori deadpanned. She then chuckled at Akaashi's exasperated expression, "I'm kidding! But I swear you know so much about me that it's kind of…I don't know if I should call it endearing or stalker like." She then grinned, "Well, whatever. You're a friend so it makes sense that you know stuff about me. But yeah, I do practice on a daily basis. I'm going to have a guess and say that you're just guessing, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I am. I don't think you'd give up volleyball completely. After I saw you in that game it made sense that you've been practicing a lot." The setter smiled small, "It's good that you didn't give up volleyball."

Shiori had gone silent, staring at the second year with wide eyes, processing his words and smile. She was never going to get used to him smiling. Like, ever. Maybe it was because his expressions were always so limited, so it made his smile stand out so much more.

"You should smile more." She blurted out. It was silent when Akaashi's smile dropped and was replaced with a parting of the lips at her sudden remark.

"Uh…forget I said anything," She nervously laughed and stood up, taking her mug and Akaashi's now empty mug, bringing it back to the kitchen.

She came back after a moment, composed, "As I was saying before, I want to find that special feeling I get when I play volleyball. Like, don't get me wrong, I love volleyball, but before I can safely say that I will play competitively again on a national stage, hopefully, I want to get that feeling back. It will make winning all the more enjoyable."

Keiji watched how her eyes twinkled. He realised it was a goal that she herself had wanted, and wouldn't stop until she got it. That's why, behind the scenes, she was trying.

He went through what he was thinking before. He had a little plan in mind, but he didn't know if she would allow him to go through with it.

"I know, it's selfish of me, isn't it?" Her voice made him snap out of his thoughts.

His eyes widened a little bit, finding that she was referring to herself. He wanted to say that it technically wasn't, but he stopped himself, knowing that he was doing the exact same thing.

 _If anything, I'm the selfish one here._


	8. raison 7-5

égoïste

raison #7.5

* * *

"I thought owls were nocturnal." Shiori stared outside to the open area in the backyard, looking at the medium sized tree that grew at the corner of the back garden. There were 2 perched on the branch, one a little bigger than the other. The larger one was coloured lightly with warm grays, and the darker one had darker tones of a combination of black, browns and grays.

She looked at the clock. It was the late morning on the Sunday, and she was just lounging inside at the living room.

As she stared at the owls, they stared right back, until the larger one spread its wings, about to fly.

"Oh wow!" She was impressed upon seeing the large wingspan of the owl.

Shiori had seen owls close up before, but it had been a long time since she last saw one. It was surprising that they were in her back garden rather than a forest.

"IT FELL?!" She nearly jumped off her seat when the owl tried to fly but ended up falling straight to the ground. She gasped and quickly put down her cup of hot cocoa, throwing on some outdoor shoes and running outside to where the owl was, on the ground, trying to get back up.

"Oh my God!" She crouched down and went to hold the owl, but stopped short, trying to see if it would allow her. She put a hand near its face, awaiting a response. The owl had gotten back on its feet, looking up at Shiori inquisitively, taking a few steps so that it was near her.

The next move surprised Shiori; the owl went to her hand and pushed its head against it, almost as if it was nuzzling it fondly. It let out a cooing sound, like it wanted to be pet.

Shiori couldn't help but grin, petting its head gently. As she did so, she remembered there was another one on the branch. She looked up, seeing that it was looking straight down at her with its dark eyes, as if observing her actions.

The lighter owl made a sound, almost like it was talking to the one on the branch. The one on the branch made an almost reluctant sound (but Shiori doesn't know that), inching closer to the tree.

The human tilted her head slightly, wondering what was up. She looked to the one who was getting pet right now, smiling warmly at it as it continued to nuzzle into her hand.

"You're a really friendly owl, aren't you?" She giggled. "I'd like to hold you but your claws are probably sharp." She stood up and quickly headed back in, getting an oven mitt on one hand. She went back outside and to the owl on the ground, offering her hand to it.

In a quick jumping motion, the owl was on her hand, clutching it lightly.

"Oh! You're a little heavier than I thought you'd be." She laughed as the owl let out a happy sound, then spread its wings.

Shiori looked up, looking at the other owl. It was still staring at her, and she stared back at it.

 _Is it unable to fly, like this one? It's a little strange for it not to fly but that's okay too. Wait a minute…how did they get here, then?_ She questioned herself, an eyebrow raising. She didn't think too much about it and went back inside, putting down the owl currently on her hand, onto the ground after getting a plastic mat.

* * *

The owl stayed still in the tree, watching his friend inside with the human, Shiori. How this owl knew, was because they went to the same school, and he was the setter for their boys' volleyball team. His name was Akaashi Keiji.

The owl that fell was the captain, Bokuto Koutarou. He was trying to fly but failed dramatically.

Akaashi had stayed in the tree, not wanting to risk anything.

He had no idea why this happened and how this happened—why did they turn into owls, and why were they in Shiori's backyard? It didn't make any sense whatsoever. The last thing he remembered from when he was still in human form was that he fell asleep. He just woke up like this.

 _How do I solve this problem? I doubt I could fly,_ the setter sighed inwardly. As an owl, it was difficult. He could understand human speech easily enough, and surprisingly, he could understand owl speak too. Bokuto even spoke to him before, telling him to come down, but he refused.

He saw Shiori come back outside, holding the same mitten in her hand. She was making her way towards him perched on the branch, and stopped just under.

"Do you want to come down too? If you can't fly, that's okay. I'll catch you." She paused, staring off to the side for a moment before looking back at him. "Unless you want me to come up there and get you, that's cool too." She stopped talking, then laughed to herself, "Man, I'm talking to an owl. It's probably thinking 'what is this human going on about?!'"

The smile was still on her face when she lifted up her gloved hand, going on her tip toes to try and reach up to him.

Akaashi stared down. The mitten was quite close, and he was most likely able to reach it. He shifted down the branch, going closer to the mitten. Shiori watched him closely, seeing him going to jump. She was steady enough even though she was on her tip toes.

The smaller owl jumped onto the mitten, but one of his feet didn't land properly, dragging his weight and pulling him towards the ground. Akaashi opened his wings, hoping to steady, but felt a hand come from behind, pushing him onto the mitten, steadying him, as the arm drew closer to the human body.

If he were human, he would have let out a gasp, but since he was an owl, a funny owlish sound was made instead. He stared at his friend with wide eyes (if they could become even wider and bigger), seeing a bright smile on her face.

"It's okay, you don't need to rush." Her hand was still on his back, gently caressing the feathers.

He pulled his wings back and made a sound of thanks to the girl.

It was like she knew what he was saying, because she giggled and petted his head adoringly, "You're a cute little owl." She started to walk back into the house. "Let's get you inside. It'll be a little dangerous if a cat comes to try and get you two."

She changed her shoes and went back inside, closing the glass door.

Akaashi noticed that Bokuto was hopping around like an excited pup (except he was an owl), and flapped his wings and made a funny noise when Shiori came in with Akaashi.

" _Bokuto-san, don't make so much noise."_ Akaashi said in owl speak.

" _But Akaashi! We're owls! And it's Shiori! CLOSE UP!"_ The bigger owl emphasised. If he were human, he would be grinning ear to ear.

Akaashi let out an owl-like sigh, carefully going onto the plastic mat that she had laid out.

The girl put the mitten to the side and sat down, crossing her legs to look at the owls. She was watching them; it interested her because it looked like the owls were conversing. What she knew of them and their behaviour, and the ones right in front of her, were a little bit different.

As if sensing her looking at them, the two owls looked back up at their saviour and tilted their heads simultaneously, making the girl stare with wide eyes, then break out in laughter.

"Oh my God you two! You're like two peas in a pod!" She covered her mouth and laughed, looking away. Her laughter started to die down when Bokuto nudged his head against her knee, asking to be pet, only for Akaashi to try and push Bokuto away from her.

"Aw, that's so cute," She grinned and pet both of them gently, making Bokuto nuzzle and Akaashi try to shrink his head into his body, making a cooing sound.

Akaashi had to admit, he now understood why Bokuto liked to get pet so much. Unconsciously, he rubbed his head against her hand, surprising the teen.

"You know, the school I currently attend has an owl as its school motif." Shiori started, almost like she was talking to the owls. "I know you two little ones probably don't understand a word I'm saying, but let me just talk to you for a little bit."

Bokuto let out a sound, hopping a couple of times. Shiori giggled and scratched under his beak, making him let out a high pitched sound.

"Oh wow, you're loud." She laughed and pet him like normal. "You know, you remind me of one of my friends. His name's Bokuto Koutarou—" The minute that name left her lips, Bokuto began to jump excitedly, chirping.

Shiori stopped petting him, blinking a few times. She was a little surprised, it was like the owl knew that name. "Bokuto Koutarou?" She said slowly, wondering if it was just a one off thing.

In response to that name, the bigger owl hooted and jumped onto her lap, nuzzling against her stomach. She yelped in surprise but let it, scratching his head gently before bringing her hands around him and putting him back down near Akaashi.

" _You shouldn't do that, Bokuto-san."_ Akaashi sounded like he was scolding the bigger owl.

" _B-B-But Akaashi!"_

Shiori wondered if she'd seen this scene before.

 _If that owl is like Bokuto, then this owl…is like Akaashi._ When she realised, she giggled and went to pet the smaller owl, causing his attention to go to her.

"You're like my friend, Akaashi. He does this to Bokuto too. It's like you guys are the same people, but in owl form." Shiori laughed.

Akaashi nodded in response, which astounded the girl. She stared at the owl, looking at it in various angles.

"Wait, did you just nod?" She questioned mainly herself and if she saw right, but when Akaashi nodded again, she gasped, "Wait, you can understand me?"

Bokuto hooted happily and Akaashi nodded, letting out a soft hoot in response.

"Oh my God. Wait, wait, wait, wait!" She waved her hands, "You mean to say that you're Kou and Keiji?!"

Akaashi nodded, letting out a light hoot in confirmation. Bokuto just continued to jump and hoot in threes.

"Are you trying to say 'hey, hey, hey'?" She rubbed Bokuto's head. When Bokuto let out a string of three hoots, she laughed and nodded, petting him with a laugh. "Why are you in owl form?"

She realised she was neglecting Akaashi and placed a finger under his beak, gently scratching. He let out a light coo.

"Aww! It's like being in an owl form makes you more expressive." She leaned down and pressed a chaste kiss on his head, then one on Bokuto's.

If they were both human, Bokuto would have blushed and sputtered, whilst Akaashi would have stayed standing there, confused and wondering why she gave a kiss.

"You guys are just so cute that I had to," She giggled and stood up, "I'm going to go get some water for you two."

" _Akaashi! Akaashi! SHE GAVE US A KISS?!"_ Bokuto shrieked.

" _Calm down, Bokuto-san."_ Akaashi let out a sigh. If he wasn't in owl form he would have started to feel his cheeks warm up.

" _What do I do?! Do I give her a kiss back?!"_ The ace hopped around the plastic mat astonishingly fast, his energy levels going through the roof.

Akaashi just sat down, letting him almost appear like a dark puddle.

"Here." Shiori put down a large bowl of water for the both of them to drink out of. "I'll keep you two company today, but it'll probably just be me talking to myself."

Bokuto sat in a puddle like position like Akaashi, watching Shiori as she talked.

And so, as the day turned to night, Shiori kept the two little owls company, talking to them about random things in life.

It wasn't until 6 in the evening that they had suddenly transformed back into humans, which shocked the female so much, especially because she was holding onto them.

"W-WOAH!" She nearly let out a scream when she suddenly felt two heavy weights on her arms, pushing her towards the ground. "OOF!" She groaned when she hit the ground, feeling two strong arms around her from separate sides.

She glanced to one side, seeing Bokuto, and the other, seeing Akaashi. They both looked confused as they assessed the situation.

"Shiori-san, are you okay?" Akaashi was quick to help up the girl, followed by Bokuto who made a loud fuss over it.

"I'm…fine. But you're crushing my arm, Bo." Shiori pulled her arm away from him and stared at the red mark. He had landed on her arm when she fell down.

 _That's going to form a bruise._ She sighed and turned to Akaashi to thank him for not dropping onto her arm and bruising it.

"Sorry!" Kou apologized, clapping his hands together.

"Sorry for coming in uninvited." Akaashi gave her an apologetic look, taking the bowl of water and heading to the kitchen.

"How did you guys even end up as owls? It's so weird." She stood up and tidied up the plastic mat, storing it away.

"I don't really know." Bokuto shrugged and followed Shiori around, almost like a duckling following its mother.

Shiori stared at Bokuto's hair, then unconsciously went to touch it, petting him on the head like she did the owl. Like the owl, he smiled under her touch and rubbed his head against her hand, much to her laughter.

"Okay, okay, Bokuto, you're not an owl anymore." She laughed and took her hand off his head, going to the kitchen.

Feeling a little cheeky, Shiori went up to the setter, who was by the sink, and start petting his head, just like she did Bokuto.

Unconsciously, like the owl form he was in, he rubbed his head against her hand, wanting more.

Shiori pressed her other hand to her lips as she held in a giggle.

"What's so funny, Shiori-san?" Akaashi looked over his shoulder, cheeks tinged in pink when he realised what he had done unintentionally.

"That was just so cute!" She ruffled his hair and then went to Bokuto, who wanted to get pet too.

Akaashi had finished cleaning the bowl, and after drying his hands, he pressed his cold hands to his face, feeling it hotter than usual. He let his hands stay on his cheeks to cool them down.

* * *

With a start, Akaashi woke up, blinking rapidly as he stared at the ceiling.

 _What a weird dream,_ he slid out of bed, getting ready for the school day.

Once lunch arrived, he went to go have lunch with his seniors, as he always had. When he opened the door to their classroom, he saw Shiori giving Bokuto a rub on the head, with Bokuto smiling and nuzzling into her hand.

"Hm? Oh! Keiji! Hey!" Shiori was the first one to greet him, smiling widely. Her smile dropped as she blinked with confusion, "Why do you look so confused?"

"It's…" He started. He shook the dream out of his head.

 _In the first place, it's probably some weird dream that happened because Bokuto-san likes getting head rubs,_ the setter placed his lunch down and grabbed a chair, dragging it over.

"…nothing." He ended. He glanced at Shiori, who had started a conversation with Bokuto about what anime they were watching the previous night.

He hummed lightly, digging into his lunch.

 _Yeah, it was just a dream._


	9. raison 8

égoïste

raison #8

* * *

"Get home safely, then, Keiji." Shiori smiled at the setter as he returned a nod.

"I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight." The male waved at her before leaving.

The volleyball player watched as he walked out of her sight before closing the door and locking it. She went over to the lounge which had floor length glass windows, shoving the curtains together after locking the door that led outside.

"Getting stuffed by blockers—that is something that'll never happen when you serve. There's no one in your way. You're free to do what you want." She mumbled to herself, almost as if she was reciting the reason that she would rather serve than spike.

Akaashi had proposed an idea to her that seemed almost harmless, but she wasn't so sure.

She went to wash the dishes, continuing to think.

 _He said that he could help me with spikes. Does he mean to legit help me with spiking or what?_

"…that idiot." She sighed lightly to herself after finishing the washing. She shut all the lights and headed to her room after getting her phone and replying to messages that were in her inbox.

 _He's already busy enough as it is, being in the advanced class and with volleyball. Does he even realise what he's saying?_

Shiori definitely wanted to say no for his own good, but then thought about why he would even ask in the first place.

 _If he's the one suggesting it doesn't that mean he already knows?_

Her brows knitted together as she let out another sigh. "…idiot." She muttered again. "Helping others when you yourself have so much on your plate already."

"Keiji, you idiot."

* * *

As Akaashi stepped into his room, he sneezed.

"Keiji! Did you catch a cold?" His mother called from another room.

"No, I—" He sneezed again.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

And he sneezed again.

"I hope I didn't…"

* * *

Soon, it was the last day of the week. Shiori was free that day after school to help with the volleyball club, but she also had another game after at the sports centre at 7pm.

 _Depending on what they want during this practice, I should still be able to get there on time._

She packed up her things when the bell signalled the end of classes, waiting for Bokuto and Yukie to go to the clubroom together.

"Are you going to wear those shorts—OW?!" Yukie hit Bokuto on the head, sending an apologetic look to Shiori.

"Nah. I've got normal shorts and a T shirt. It's getting a little warmer, so I wouldn't want to wear something tight." Shiori reasoned. She gently punched Bokuto's chest when he had formed a frown. "You perv, is that the only thing you think about?!"

"Hey! A guy's gotta have dreams right—OW?!" Yukie had once again hit him.

Shiori only laughed. Bokuto was a straightforward guy, maybe a little too much so. He was fun to be around, even if he was kind of dumb in some aspects. Except, sometimes that dumbness equated to genius. When she talked to Konoha about it, he got pissed and agreed with her, knowing exactly what she meant.

"Okay, let's not keep the others waiting, Bokuto." Yukie pushed him towards the clubroom as Shiori walked by their side.

* * *

Akaashi overheard a few students talking about Shiori. At first, his ears perked at the sound of someone saying 'volleyball', but when it changed to the topic of the girl, he found himself eavesdropping. Well, not really, since he was already in the clubroom and they were talking outside it. Their voices were loud enough for him to hear. It was a pair of guys.

"Did you hear? Apparently Maebara-senpai is helping out the boys' volleyball team now. Some people saw her running towards the gym after school with her gym clothes a few days ago."

"Eh, really?! Wouldn't it be better to help out the girls' instead?"

"Nah. You know the day after, yeah, those in the volleyball club were talking about it a lot. They weren't the regulars, but apparently she's there to help them receive. She was doing serves."

"Oh! I heard about that, too. When I went to give something to the teacher there were a group of people talking about how her serves were insane."

"Yeah, yeah, right? Oh, oh! I heard from a second year from the club that Bokuto-senpai was talking to her and he was shouting out something about her getting the best server's award in middle school."

"What?! Really?! How come she's not on the girls' team, then?! I never knew there was such a big shot in our school."

"I didn't know about it either until I heard from the others! So when I went home, I searched her up. She got all these awards for best server back in middle school, and the team she was on went to nationals every year she was in it. It was the only years that the girls' team even went to any. Kitagawa Daiichi is more focused on its boys' volleyball."

"Eh…really!"

"Yeah. I think a lot of other people searched her up on the net and found the same info. So now I've heard lots of people wanting to go and see her play volleyball."

"We're going too, aren't we?"

"Yeah."

"Oh yeah, now that I think about it, why's she in Tokyo? I thought she would've gone to a powerhouse school in Miyagi."

"Yeah, I thought so too."

"Ah, I see them. Let's go."

The boys went off.

 _So it really did spread like wildfire around the school…_ Akaashi had finished changing, taking out an onigiri to snack on. He heard the door to the clubroom open as Shiori, Bokuto and Yukie walked in.

"Oh, hey Keiji." Shiori greeted with a grin and a raise of the hand.

"Osu!" Bokuto and Yukie gave out a casual greeting too.

"Otsukaresama." Akaashi greeted the third years.

"I'll change a little later." Shiori put down her bag and went out, Yukie following her.

Bokuto began to change.

"The others are late." Akaashi stated, staring at the door. He had finished his snack, so he went to go dispose of the rubbish.

"Ah, I'm all done now so the room's all yours, Shiori." Bokuto called.

"Oh, that was quick. Thanks Kou." She quickly went in as Bokuto went out, closing the door. He stood outside like a guard dog.

When Shiori was done, she walked out, thanking Bokuto with a playful grin.

"Ah, Shiori, your earrings." Yukie pointed at the taller girl's ears.

"Hm? Oh yeah!" The volleyball player took off her earrings, taking all 5 of them off. There were 3 in her right, 2 in her left. She took them out and went back inside just as a few other club members came to get changed. She greeted them when she went back out.

"I'm surprised the teachers haven't called you out for wearing them." Yukie commented.

"Oh, but they have." Shiori added, "Many times. I just didn't take them off. No need to. As long as my hair covers them it should be fine. Plus, it takes a long time to put on and off."

"Eh…"

"What, you think I'm a delinquent?" She leaned forward slightly, holding a teasing smirk. "I do know some close combat but I don't think it's enough to label me as one." She chuckled.

"Hey! I didn't say anything!" Yukie lightly hit her friend's arm.

Shiori laughed, "I have to take them off for volleyball anyway so I leave them on during school. Can't let them close up." She paused for a little, "Oh right, I forgot to take them off last time. It would've been bad if something hit it or got caught." She shuddered, remembering the stories her former coaches and teammates and friends would tell her about part of people's ears getting ripped off because they were playing sport.

When the other club members were done and went outside, they walked together to the gym.

Just like Akaashi had heard before, he saw a lot more people loitering around the gym.

 _All these people are here to watch Shiori-san,_ he thought, taking a look around.

"Eh, why are there so many people here? It's after school, don't people have clubs?" Shiori chuckled, taking a glance around. She saw some people walk into the gym. "You guys are sure popular. People taking time out of their clubs to go watch you guys play. That's a national level team for you." She grinned.

Yukie and Akaashi stared at her with a slightly 'are you serious' expression.

 _They're here to watch you!_

Bokuto grinned, throwing his arms up, "HEY, HEY, HEY!"

 _He probably thinks they're here for him,_ Akaashi thought, _hm, maybe. People do watch him after all. But better not tell him that they're not really watching him._

He glanced at Shiori, _has she not heard the rumours about her yet? I'm surprised. Or is she merely feigning ignorance?_ He thought about the second option, but then shook it out of his head, _I don't think she'd do that. Either she's heard of it but doesn't care, or she's heard of it and isn't letting it distract her. Probably the latter._

Shiori whistled a light tune, stepping into the gym after changing her shoes. She looked around, her eyes widening at the students there.

"Hey, hey, hey…what's with all these people?" She tried not to make a face, but it distorted it in a strange way.

"What's with that face?" Yukie lightly patted her shoulder, "Come on, time for warmups. It's not unusual for there to be a crowd."

The rest of the Fukurodani regulars headed off to start, ignoring the crowd that had accumulated at the bleachers.

 _There was like no one last time. Why are they all so hyped today?_ Shiori looked away from the crowd, following after the boys to help with setting up the equipment.

She heard her name getting shouted, to give them a good serve, making her tense up.

 _Urgh…_ she inwardly groaned, realisation dawning on her. _So that's why they're here._

She tried not to make a face again, but it looked more distorted than last time, prompting the others to ask her what was wrong.

"Nothing…nothing's wrong. None at all." She smiled. Her tone was flat.

 _Liar!_ The team wanted to scream.

Shiori huffed, exhaling out almost in a hopeless manner. She couldn't stop them even if she wanted to. As much as she disliked that they were probably here for her (she didn't know until then), she decided to ignore it and focus on helping out the people who asked her for help, like Konoha.

"Shiori! They're saying your name!" Bokuto jogged over to the female, looking at the bleachers.

"Geh." She patted Bokuto's shoulder, "Come on, let's go for our warmup." She wanted to side track him. It would be better to make him believe that he was the one getting cheered for and shouted for, not her.

"Shiori! Remember to help me on my serves today!" Konoha ran up to her when they just started their warmups, doing them together.

"Yeah, sure." She did some light skips and jumps, then prepared her body for whatever was to come.

"I'll get more of your serves today!" Komi came up to Shiori with a grin, "You can count on it!"

"Oya?" She raised a brow and smirked at him in challenge. "I won't go easy on you then."

She then let out a small 'oh!', as if she remembered something. She looked over to Onaga, the first year. "Onaga-kun, you need to work on your serves." She didn't beat around the bush.

The tallest on the team gave her a surprised look, but then nodded slowly. "O-okay…thanks, Shiori-senpai."

"No problem. I'll come over after I'm done with Konoha."

"You make it sound like you're going to kill me…" The wing spiker let out a light chuckle.

"Death by volleyball sounds great." She grabbed one from the basket and dribbled it, a sneaky snicker escaping from her lips.

 _She seems to get along with them just fine,_ Akaashi's mind wandered to what she told him about her middle school experience. It made him wonder whether they were treating her like this, or worse. After all, her teammates did kick her out of the regular line up.

 _Would she accept my offer? She hasn't given me an answer yet._ Of course, Akaashi was patiently waiting, but he really did want to help her out. It would also give him an excuse to talk to her more—

 _What am I thinking?_ His brows slightly furrowed when he got a ball and squeezed it between his palms. He went to go talk to the coach about what the plans were for the current practice session.

When he went back after confirming, he found that the team, including the managers, were playing with a volleyball, all of them doing digs or overhead passes to keep the ball in the air, passing to each other.

"Oh, Keiji-kun, here! Join us!" Shiori dug it to him.

Reacting fast, the setter passed it to Bokuto like an exceptional setter would, "Sorry, it's low!" He said out of habit.

Bokuto stopped himself from spiking it and dug it up to Konoha, laughing wildly. "I nearly spiked it then and there!"

The coach blew his whistle, getting everyone to crowd around him so he could relay his intentions. He talked about what they were going to do, and how they were going to do it, especially with a guest helper.

"Maebara-kun, we'll be doing our own practice before we start receiving your serves. During that time, you can help them with their serving or you can observe." The coach explained.

"Okay." She nodded and stretched herself out a little bit before joining the regulars. She was going to focus on them first before heading to the others (if they needed her help).

 _Well, maybe not now,_ she saw that they were doing spike and block training, which she didn't want to interrupt. _Maybe after._

She joined the managers by the side, chatting to them about a few things while she waited, occasionally observing who was good and bad at what.

* * *

"Wasn't she supposed to be helping out the team?"

"But she's just sitting there, watching them."

"I want to see her play!"

"What if those rumours weren't true? Do you think those guys were lying?"

"Do you think she went to help the team so she could get closer to the guys?"

Several comments and murmurs went through the bleachers, but they didn't reach Shiori's ears. She was currently teaching Konoha how he could improve his serve. After, she moved onto Onaga.

Yukie and Kaori were able to hear them, but the players themselves were too focused on their activities to notice.

Normally, Yukie was a lax, bright girl, but hearing those comments about her good friend, especially the last two comments, really made her irritated. She wanted to stomp up there and tell them off, but she knew that that wouldn't help, so she stayed rooted in her spot, watching them practice.

"They're just comments…they're just comments…they don't know her…" Yukie grumbled repeatedly.

Beside her, Kaori blinked a few times, sweat dropping. It was quite a sight to see Yukie pissed.

* * *

The coach clapped his hands so that the regulars' attention was on him. "Receives practice."

The team's eyes lit up as they practiced their receiving with their own teammates first. Shiori, who was teaching another volleyball club member on how to start up their jump serve and the timing of the jump, looked over to the regulars, seeing them receiving.

 _They seem more focused than before…_ She took note.

Her eyes drifted to Akaashi, who seemed to have a glimmer of something in his eyes. She didn't really know what it was, since it was hard to read his limited expressions sometimes, but it was a positive emotion.

… _is that, expectation?_ She wondered.

As if he knew someone was looking at him, Akaashi glanced over in her direction, catching her red handed. She gave him a smile and returned to what she was doing before with the volleyball club member.

"Oh? What are you staring at her for, Akaashi?" Bokuto grinned cheekily as he spotted his good friend watching the girl.

"It's nothing, Bokuto-san." The setter replied nonchalantly, digging an incoming ball. He went to the back of the line, joining the taller male.

Bokuto placed his hands on his hips, "So you finally notice how awesome she is!" He grinned widely.

"I never said that." Though he had to admit, he did have a good amount of respect for her.

"What?!" Bokuto was shook. An incoming ball hit his chest, making a weird sound come from him as Komi told him to stop being preoccupied and focus on the ball.

"But she is cool." Akaashi stated after.

Bokuto's eyes shone as he hit the setter on the back a couple of times, nearly making him choke at how hard he was hitting him.

"So you _do_ get it!"

"Focus, Bokuto!" Komi was supposed to throw the ball at the next person in line, but he took that opportunity to throw it at Bokuto. Normally he didn't get so preoccupied, so they had to get him back, even by force.

"That's mean, Komi!"

"You guys all ready yet?" Shiori came over, having finished up with helping the club member.

"Just a little bit more." Komi spoke to her, throwing the ball down for Washio. He received it with ease.

"Alright, I'll just stand here then." She stretched out a little, chatting with whoever it was who wasn't receiving.

Once they were done, they prepared for their receives practice.

"Ooh! Are they playing a game?!"

"I think so! They're all going to one side! Wait, huh?!"

"Why's there only Shiori-senpai on the other side?"

Yukie chuckled to herself darkly, muttering, "Prepare to get blown away!"

Kaori glanced at her senior, wondering if she was alright.

The chattering of the crowd began as Shiori prepared herself to serve, bouncing the ball a few times before spinning it in her hand, getting a good feel for the ball. The chatter continued, excitement pulsing through the crowds' veins as they watched her.

"BRING IT!" The Fukurodani regulars' shouted, feeling the tension she brought with her to the court.

Shiori felt a smirk tugging her lips as she turned around. She then threw the ball up.

 _Ah, that was good,_ she did a run up and jumped into the air, smashing it down onto the other side.

The sound of the ball against the ground silenced everyone in the gym.

The regulars' were speechless. Sure, they had seen her serve before and had received them before, but this first serve was still a shock to them.

 _I couldn't even see that!_ Konoha gaped, staring at where the ball had hit, with wide eyes. _Did she hit it even harder than before?!_ He turned to the female, who was already going to prepare for the next serve.

 _That serve…_ Akaashi stared at it for a long moment. _That was fast—no, that was faster than last time—it's hard to get the hang of her serves that easily._ He looked to the female, wondering if this session would be different from the one before.

The crowd was gaping at her. Some of them dropped their phones onto the ground or their laps. It was when one of them shouted out in cheer that the others followed. Their cheers were loud and they were pumping up their fists, screaming out encouragements.

"Man, I take back that she should've trained with the girls' team. Her serves are overkill! I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that!"

"Neither! Guess those rumours were true!"

"It looks like their arms will break off trying to get that!"

Yukie grinned, hands on her hips. She was glad that the comments were now overruled, and better comments replaced them. Kaori smiled at the amount of cheer. It was enough to even bring the boys' side of the court's morale up.

Shiori took the amount of steps she needed to for another jump serve. She didn't take notice of the crowd. She was too focused on the game, too focused on the court. Nothing mattered if it wasn't on the court.

The team was aware, averting their attention from the crowd and back to her. They wondered just how deep her concentration was when she was on the court. She didn't even look at the crowd once, no matter how much they cheered or how loud they were.

She was silent, and then she served. This time, the team successfully received it, hitting it to the setter, who passed it back to the basket.

As the training continued, the cheers did too. But, they fell on deaf ears.

They were too focused; they had to be, or the ball would drop, and they would lose the point.

* * *

Once finished, the moment Shiori stepped off the court, she fell on her behind, feeling her legs give out. She stared at the crowd who watched with surprised eyes. The team surrounded her to help her up as she suddenly started laughing, feeling something she hadn't for a while.

"Why are you laughing?" Bokuto questioned the female, supporting her up. She had done jump serves the whole time, and the period in which she was doing them was longer than before. Her legs felt like jelly.

"It's been a while since I've been this invested in something." She got a water bottle from Yukie, drinking most of it. Even then, she had a smile on her face.

"What do you mean?" The owlish ace questioned.

"Hm? I meant what I meant." She gave the bottle back to Yukie and got off from Bokuto, going to the side where she sat on the ground, stretching her legs.

The boys still had the rest of practice with practice games against each other, so after giving their thanks for helping them out, they left Shiori to stretch.

"Ah…that was good." Shiori stretched, but then stopped, feeling like she needed to do a cooldown.

Slowly, she stood up and walked outside. The sun was coming down, and the air had become cooler. She breathed it in, taking a cooldown walk outside. To others, it looked like she was just pacing back and forth.

 _Hm…I had fun,_ Shiori stretched her arms loosely, gently massaging her neck and upper arms. She was lucky she was ambidextrous in volleyball, or else she would have always had a sore arm.

 _I had fun, yet I still didn't feel that exhilaration,_ she stopped walking for a moment, lightly stretching out her quads, _to be honest I thought I might feel something. I was really concentrated on that match…more so than others._

She started walking again, going to a wall and stretching out her calves.

 _Does that mean this is getting somewhere?_ Shiori thought to herself for a long moment, switching calves to stretch.

 _I still have a game after this, so I'll see what happens then. I have a team to play with there, too._ She went back to the gym, where she walked in after changing shoes. She glanced towards those who were playing. They were playing in groups of 3.

Her eyes had found Bokuto, who had cheered loudly at a successful spike. His eyes were gleaming, he was smiling, and it radiated off him like the sun's rays onto a new day.

Shiori found herself pausing to watch him. He was always like this, she knew, but this time, it was like something mesmerizing. How he could keep being so happy at each successful spike, how he could cheer at how he would get it past the blockers.

She snapped out of it and went to go stretch. She could still hear Bokuto in the background, and she found herself watching him again as she stretched.

When he caught her watching, he gave her a big thumbs up and a large grin, making her match him, before looking away to change stretches.

She stared at her foot blankly, holding it for a stretch.

She knew. She very well knew. The reason she watched him. But, she ignored it.

 _I've got to focus._


	10. raison 9

égoïste

raison #9

* * *

When practice finished, Akaashi walked home, this time taking the detour to go get onigiri. He also wanted to go to the sports centre, where Shiori said she was going to be. She told him she had a game that day after helping out with them, and that was why she had to leave early.

He purchased the onigiri and went to the sports centre, heading upstairs to the bleachers. He watched the several teams playing from above, eyes scanning the ground until he found Shiori.

She was playing wing spiker, her original role in the game, and was getting ready to spike. The ball had just been set for her.

 _Second tempo,_ Akaashi thought. He watched carefully.

She did a run up and jumped, hitting the ball to the other side. The other side picked it up and returned it to their setter so that they could perform a quick.

 _Her spikes are certainly different from her serves. They don't carry the same control or power,_ Akaashi thought, _has she worked with that setter before? They're in sync,_ he realised.

Shiori jumped, soft blocking the spike as the ball hit her hand. "One touch!" She shouted quickly.

 _She has good reflexes,_ the setter praised. _Quick, too._

Her side of the court dug it up, with them taking the point with the other wing spiker smashing it down. Their team high fived each other, complementing the male wing spiker for the point.

From where Akaashi stood, he saw Shiori taking frequent breaks in between points, twice more than the rest of the team.

 _She must be worn out from earlier..._

When the game finished, the team Shiori was playing for had won, beating them 2 sets 25-16 and 25-22. The teams bid each other good game and shook hands, showing off good sportsmanship as they complemented each other's plays. Once they were done with that, they excused themselves to clear way for the other teams that were yet to play.

"Shiori-san." Akaashi called. She was heading out, but looked up when she heard her name.

Shiori looked up, seeing Akaashi there. She was pleasantly surprised. "Ah, Keiji. Good evening. What are you doing here?"

"I was hungry so I went to buy some food." The setter responded. He went down to the lobby, meeting her there. "That was a good game. Are you tired?"

"Thanks." She laughed as she rubbed the nape of her neck, "Yeah, I am. My stamina sucks."

The second year pulled out the other onigiri he had gotten earlier when he got two. He handed it to his senior, "Here."

The female stared at him owlishly, then the onigiri, then back at him. She pointed to herself, "Is that for me?"

When he nodded, a grin broke out on the girl's face as she took it and gave the boy a hug, thanking him. "Thanks, Keiji! You're so considerate!"

The boy was mildly surprised by the hug but composed himself, giving her a gentle hug back, a small smile on his lips that was gone the minute it came.

She pulled back and started to unwrap the onigiri, "How much was this? I'll pay you back." She took a bite.

"It's fine. You've already been generous enough to provide dinner and snacks when we study at your house." Akaashi reasoned. To him, it was completely fine. She had done so much already.

"Hm?" She raised a brow at him, "But still…"

"It's fine." He ended it right then and there.

"Hm…okay, then." Shiori went to the bulletin board, checking out which team she would be playing for the next round of matches at the sports centre. She saw her team's name, dubbed 'Pillows', having advanced to the next round, the 3rd round.

"Are you guys having a tournament?" Akaashi questioned, looking at the piece of paper.

Shiori nodded, finishing off the onigiri before talking, "Yup. We're called 'Pillows'. The name's a little weird but we got it from a draw." She chuckled, "Just then was the 2nd round. Before, you saw the 1st round."

"There should be around 5 rounds. We're in the top 8 right now. 3 more matches and if we win them all, we get all these prizes." Shiori clapped her hands together with a gleeful look on her face, "I think they had things like coupons and vouchers, rice, free membership for the sports centre for 3 months, stuff like that. Some pretty neat stuff."

"So it's similar to tournaments from school, but without nationals." The setter concluded.

"Yup. It's a little different though, as you've probably seen. Each team has 3 female and 3 male players, and the age's range, so there's both an advantage and disadvantage. It's more versatile this way, yet it's a lot harder." She grinned at the male.

"Do you enjoy playing with them?" Akaashi recalled her playing with the same team last time.

"Yup! It might not show on my face because I'm concentrating on the match, but I do have fun." She started to walk towards the exit, the setter following after her. "You should try it one day, too."

The setter was silent for a brief moment, watching Shiori as she babbled on about volleyball and her current team. Her eyes gleamed as she talked, reflecting the light from the lampposts with an almost joyful feature, as they walked home.

 _She really loves volleyball…_ he wanted to chuckle at the obvious mental statement.

 _I think her 'team' situation is a little different from ours. She says she's not on a team, but she's in 'Pillows', an out of school team with a range of different people. Does she mean to say that she doesn't have a team that is like ours?_

"Oh, about your offer, Keiji…" Shiori glanced back at him, averting his attention from his thoughts to her, "I'm not sure why you'd suggest it when you're really busy, and I'm thankful that you're willing to do that for me." She had more to say, but she paused there, trying to think of a way to say it. "Uhm…what I'm trying to say is, is that I'm not sure if it'll be a good idea if you're so busy. It's tempting, but I don't want to burden you further."

"…I don't mind, Shiori-san. I offered because I have time." The setter coolly brushed off her reluctance. If he were completely honest with himself, he'd say that he'd definitely want to help. He already made up his mind a while ago, and he wasn't going to take no for an answer.

Shiori slowed down her steps and stared at him with slightly widened brown eyes. Her eye twitched and then she let out a heavy sigh, staring at the ground. "You're not going to take no as an answer, are you?"

"No, I'm not." He couldn't hide the small smile on his face when she reluctantly accepted his offer, grumbling something about him being too much.

"I have no idea how this will work, but let's give it a try, then." She patted his back, "Well, I might even tell Kou that I'll be stealing you for a little bit." She giggled at his reaction. "He'll be a little jealous." She whistled a light tune after teasing him.

"We should be able to work this out at the sports centre. It'll probably have to be before or after dinner." Shiori tapped her chin, "I do have games around this time, so I'm not sure when I'll be entirely free. Plus, I'm helping out the archery club."

"That's fine. I'll help."

"You're awfully helpful, Keiji. Aren't you worried your schedule is going to be so full you can't keep up?"

"I've never had that problem."

The way he spoke it so nonchalantly made Shiori chuckle, "Well, if I find out that you're pushing yourself too much for my sake, I'll stop this, even if it's temporary, okay?"

He made a hum of agreeance.

"Alright, I'll be going to my house from here. I'll see you tomorrow, then, after your practice." She stopped her step and pivoted to face the setter, who in turn stopped and faced her.

"I can walk you home, Shiori-san. It's dangerous to walk alone at night." The boy checked the time on his phone. It was nearing 7.30pm.

"Nah, it should be fine." The older teen waved her hand in dismissal, "Thanks for the offer, but it should be fine. You need to go home and have dinner—"

"I don't think it's fine if you're currently living by yourself. Shiori-san, you said that your dad wasn't coming back until the end of the weekend." Akaashi stated matter-of-factly. "I'll walk you home." The way he said it gave no room for argument.

"Geh." Shiori made a face and let out a heavy sigh, rubbing her neck, "Damn, I shouldn't have told you that," She muttered under her breath.

She looked up to the taller male when he stepped beside her, prompting her to start walking as well.

"Can I ask you a question?" Shiori questioned, her eyes still straight ahead.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Are you only helping me because you like my volleyball play?"

Akaashi nearly stopped walking due to his surprise, but he panned on. "No."

She glanced at him from the side of her eye, staying silent, almost asking him to elaborate.

He sighed, "You're also a friend, so I want to help you."

"You're rather direct, aren't you?"

"Is that really coming from you?"

Shiori chuckled and shrugged. The answers that Akaashi gave were broad. They weren't bad at all, and she would have accepted whatever answer he'd given, but this one, was broad enough to include anything. It was almost cryptic. But, she decided not to pursue it.

 _Akaashi does things for a reason. If he didn't, that's not Akaashi Keiji,_ she stopped at the front of her house after walking for a little while longer while exchanging conversation with the younger one.

"Thanks for walking me home." She nodded at him.

If it was Bokuto who walked her home she would throw him a hug, but for Akaashi, she wasn't so sure. He didn't seem like the type to want any form of hug or anything like that from anybody.

Akaashi didn't say anything but stood there stiffly, like he wanted something. He averted his eyes from the girl almost timidly.

Shiori had just opened the gates to her house but stopped when she didn't hear anything from the second year. She looked over her shoulder, "Is something wrong?"

He mumbled some words, but she couldn't catch them. She stepped forward towards him, leaning forward slightly, "Sorry, what was that?"

He didn't say anything else, and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, bringing her close. The third year's eyes widened and her lips parted in shock.

Akaashi was hugging her, out of his own accord.

This shock was enough to leave her frozen, her mind going 100km/hr, throwing reasons from one side of the brain to the other as to why he would initiate a hug.

When he let go, he looked at her, wondering why she was as frozen as a statue. He waved a hand in front of her face after shaking her shoulders gently (which didn't work), which made her snap out of her statue like state.

She blinked a few times, then exclaimed incredulously, "Keiji-kun! You initiated a hug! _Initiated a hug!_ " She emphasised.

"It's not that much of a big deal, Shiori-san…"

She grinned at him, "I thought you didn't like hugs, so I refrained from hugging you at all. So I'm quite shocked!" She raised her index finger, "I'm just really happy." She smiled warmly.

Akaashi wanted to sweat drop at the girl. She was so happy over a hug. It was just a hug.

"Ooh, should I feed you food too, like I do Kou, Aki and Yukie?" She let out a cheeky snicker, rocking on her heels.

"…if you want to." Was his reply.

Like before, Shiori stood there, frozen, as her jaw dropped. She wasn't used to this from the savage setter that would always have some form of low-key shading or blunt remark.

"Ah," Shiori went back to her normal state, a quick thought racing through her mind. "Did you by chance, wonder why I wasn't giving you hugs or feeding you food, while I was doing it to Bo and the others?"

Akaashi didn't give an answer, only going in to hug her gently.

"This is so weird, normally I hug people first." She hugged him back, not caring whether or not he gave her an answer, and then pulled away, grinning as she waved and went through the gates. "I'll see you tomorrow, then. Get home safe, Keiji. Goodnight!"

"I will. Goodnight." He gave her a light wave, shoving his hands into his pockets as he left after her front door closed.

He was glad that the cold air from the night had come to take away the heat that was starting to form on his cheeks. His expression was kept neutral.

In relation to her previous question, Akaashi didn't even need to think about it. She was right in that aspect, but he didn't want to admit it so freely; it was embarrassing. Even making the first move to become closer to her was something that was hard for him.

The setter let out a light sigh to himself as he walked home.

* * *

"Eh? Really? That's surprisingly early," Shiori had her phone on loudspeaker as she made her dinner. She was speaking in English.

" _Yeah. Did you want anything?"_ The male voice on the other side asked.

"Uh…can you get me macadamia chocolates? They're expensive over here."

" _Sure thing. Is that all?"_

"Yeah."

" _Okay, then. Take care. I'll be back tomorrow_. _I gotta sleep soon because it's getting really late over here._ "

"Oh yeah, Arata, my friends are coming over for a sleepover so you'll need to take dad's room tomorrow."

" _Oh, okay. Alright then, bye_."

"See you soon."

Shiori hung up and put her food on a plate before eating, heading to the dining table. She checked her phone as she ate, checking any notifications.

 **MiracleBoy: I'm not really a fan of golf but this one's okay! It's called Robot X Laserbeam. I think you might like it.**

 _Robot X Laserbeam?_ She grinned and typed a response.

 **FlyHigh: Yeah, I've been reading that too! I'm not a golfer so it's interesting to read about it.**

She got an instant reply.

 **MiracleBoy: Oh? What sports do you play, then?! Let me take a guess—volleyball?**

 **FlyHigh: Hahaha yeah! How did you know?**

 **MiracleBoy: It was just a guess, lol.**

 **FlyHigh: You play volleyball too?**

 **MiracleBoy: Yeah, I do! I'm a middle blocker. You?**

 **FlyHigh: Wing spiker.**

 **MiracleBoy: Oohh! We should play volleyball one day together!**

 **FlyHigh: I have no idea who you are but that sounds great!**

 **MiracleBoy: What?! Ehhhhh I guess so…okay, I'm in Miyagi, what about you?**

 **FlyHigh: Tokyo.**

Shiori finished her dinner and went to wash the dishes. She left her phone at the table.

 _So this MiracleBoy guy is in Miyagi? He plays volleyball, too, huh…_ she finished the dishes and closed the lights, going back to the dining table.

Her phone lighted up with a notification from him.

 **MiracleBoy: Ehhh?! So far away!**

 **FlyHigh: A little. I do have relatives in Miyagi, so maybe when I visit them.**

 **MiracleBoy: Tell me when you do!**

 **FlyHigh: Haha, alright. Which school?**

 **MiracleBoy: Hmmm Shiratorizawa.**

Shiori paused, brows raising.

 _Shiratorizawa? So he's a player on the boys' volleyball team there? No, he might not even be on the team, but warming the bench or something. The club there is picky about its members._

She hummed, typing a reply.

 **FlyHigh: Oh? You mean the powerhouse school? That's pretty cool, to play with them.**

 **MiracleBoy: Hehehe right?**

She left the message as 'seen', since she didn't know how to reply to that.

 _Well…it wouldn't hurt to check out Shiratorizawa when I go to Miyagi. I could ask mum to let me in as a visitor or something. Oh, that reminds me, the cute little coconut goes there now, too._

She went to her other notifications.

 **Kou:** **Shiori! I forgot to return your notebook! I'll give it to you tomorrow! The English one! Sorry!**

 **Shiori: It's fine. Just make sure to remember it tomorrow!**

She typed a message to Akaashi, because there was a pretty high chance that Bokuto would forget.

 **Shiori: Yo, Keiji! Bokuto's got my English notebook, he's bringing it in tomorrow but he might forget so can you please remind him?**

Akaashi replied after a minute.

 **Akaashi: Alright.**

 **Shiori: Thanks!**

The girl went onto her apps to get her daily log in rewards for games. She yawned, heading to her room. She was going to study for a bit after showering, then she would sleep.

"Stupid make up tests…"

* * *

The first thing that Shiori did when she woke up was go for a walk. She liked to take walks in the mornings, especially in mild cool weather. It was good to clear the mind, and it was the best thing to do on a Saturday morning, apart from sleeping in. It was also a good thing that it was still autumn, or else it would be hotter.

She hummed a light tune when she saw the convenience store, heading inside to get some things that she might need for the sleepover with her friends.

"Oh yeah, Arata's coming back, too…" She mumbled to herself. She headed to the snacks aisle, where she spotted some of his favourite Japanese snacks; matcha kit kat and magari senbei (they're rice crackers). She added it to the basket and went to go get some other things.

When she was done, she headed back home and started to clean. She didn't mind cleaning too much, but considering she was the only one in the house and guests were coming over for the night, it would be customary to clean before their overnight visit.

 _Damn house and how big it is…_

Once she was done, she prepared breakfast for herself. It was still only 9, with her having woken up at 7.

 _They should be playing volleyball now…_ she hummed, _and Arata should be on his flight now too. Mum said he'd be leaving at 10am over in Australian time. So that makes him in flight 2 hours or so. So about 8 more hours until he comes…not including travel times. Let's make it 10 hours until he comes. So…he'll be here around, 5 to 6pm. Okay._

 _I should actually reply to Mum soon…_

Shiori had a full breakfast, with rice and side dishes. If she had the time and if she didn't feel lazy, she'd make something that covered all spectrums of a good meal, but keep it light and not too heavy, unless it was lunch.

She flipped through her diary when she finished, looking at all the events and reminding herself that things were due on some and so on.

 _Okay, so for after school stuff…we've got the Nekoma practice match in a few days; then the archery club wants me there for 2 days next week; there are 2 matches for the volleyball tournament to figure out who's going against who in the grand finals; then I need to help out the school's volleyball team if I'm free._

Shiori stared at her handwriting scribbled everywhere, then flipped to the next week, and the week after that.

She remembered that Bokuto had written when the Inter High volleyball competition was, and in big bold letters too. It was really soon, around a month or so left. The archery one that she was going to help out in was a week before theirs.

 _They're probably going to nationals this year, too…_ She thought. _Hopefully Kou can beat that school that kept stuffing his spikes._

She paused for a moment, then went to her room to bring out her laptop, opening it up and searching for Fukurodani's past matches.

 _Bokuto said that he was really good at crosses, and since he kept getting blocked and stuffed by a certain school, he'd trained really hard on straights. I'll go take a look at them._

And so, Shiori went to see the previous years of official matches that were recorded, all of which Bokuto was in. It was fairly easy to spot that dual hair coloured wing spiker, so she watched carefully, examining what she could for analysation.

 _Oh wow, he really is really good at crosses. Why didn't I see these before?_ She sighed to herself and closed her laptop, pushing it to the side. _I want to see his straights now. They weren't all that good before, but let's see how much he's grown._

She stood up and got her diary and laptop, putting them back in her room, _I hope I can go to their Inter Highs…I should see if I can go cheer them on_.

"Ah…wait a minute. Inter High's on the day that that game comes out…" She sighed to herself, "Maybe I should pre-order it…"

She leaned on her right leg as she stared at the shelf in her room – one full of a mixture of manga and some games on the lowest shelf.

 _Yeah, I'll just order it._

She ordered it off online the minute she decided to, throwing herself onto the bed afterwards as she got a volume of manga to read. It was her favourite one, called HQ!, that focused on a first year male student who loved volleyball.

 _Still waiting for season 4…_


	11. raison 10

égoïste

raison #10

* * *

"Bokuto-san, don't forget Shiori-san's notebook." The setter reminded the dual hair coloured captain. He had changed into comfortable attire after a shower.

"Yeah, I have it in my bag!" Bokuto nodded and pointed to the bag he was currently packing everything in, "Eh?! How did you know I borrowed her notes?!" Cue a shocked face.

"She sent me a message to remind you." The tall individual explained blandly.

"Oh…" Bokuto nodded slowly, "Wait, since when did you have her number?"

Akaashi didn't even answer the ace's question as he tidied up his bag, hoping that everything was in there for the sleepover (or study over or whatever they were going to call it).

"I'm all done!" Yukie announced, stepping into the club room with a bag around her shoulders. She carried another bag with her, one with her favourite snacks so that they could share it around (though she'd probably eat them all first).

"I'm still changing!" Konoha protested, pulling up his pants hurriedly, the colour of blush rising to his cheeks.

"Oh, sorry!" The manager quickly whipped her head away and exited, closing the door behind her. "I saw nothing anyway!" She called inside to reassure him.

Konoha was silent as he changed, sighing through his nose.

Bokuto's stomach growled as he organised his things (or tried to anyway), and he groaned, standing up and throwing his bag over his shoulder, crossing it so that it wouldn't fall easily. "I'm so hungry!"

"We'll be at Shiori-san's soon. Be thankful that she lives close by." The setter walked passed the ace and headed out.

Kaori had already bid them goodbye and good luck for their overnight stay at the optimistic third year's house, saying something along the lines of "Good luck! I hope your test results get better!"

Those who weren't stuck with make-up tests the following week waved as if they were going to be leaving for a long voyage.

Well, at least that's what Bokuto thought anyway.

When they arrived at the steps to Shiori's house, the smell of food lingered in the air, leaving their mouths to water at the meal they were going to eat.

Shiori answered when the door bell rung, letting them in to take a seat and rest after the exhausting volleyball practice.

"How was practice?" She brought water to them in the lounge area. They gave her their thanks.

"It was good! My straights are super straight now!" Bokuto cheered. "I'm so ready to get _them_ back!"

"Oh, really? I'd like to see them one day, like in the upcoming Nekoma practice match." She grinned when she heard his stomach rumble loudly. "Just wait a little longer. I'm nearly done."

"What are you making?" Yukie questioned, her eyes sparkling. "I smell fish."

"It's salmon! We're going to be having some salmon with rice and side veges." She went back to the kitchen to finish up the salmon.

"…Isn't that expensive?" Konoha raised a brow as he watched her from afar.

"If you don't want it then I'll eat your share!" The female volleyball player shouted from across the room.

Konoha sweat dropped; she heard him?

Yukie rose from her seat, going to Shiori to ask where she should put her stuff. She answered, "We'll be sleeping on my bed, so just put your stuff down there. There's enough space for the both of us."

"Okay!" Yukie had a lazy smile on her face as she headed to Shiori's room.

"Oh yeah, you guys! You'll be taking over Arata's room so just put your stuff in there!" Shiori told them.

"Huh?" Bokuto tilted his head, "Who's Arata?"

Shiori glanced over when she heard the owl's question, "He's my brother."

"You have a brother?!" He exclaimed.

"Calm down, Bokuto-san."

"Yeah, I do. His room is big so you three can fit in there perfectly fine." Shiori arranged the food on the plates.

Akaashi stood up and headed over to the kitchen to help out. Bokuto and Konoha followed, joined by Yukie who drooled from the smell of food. Once they were seated down, they dug into their meal after thanking the chef.

"I haven't seen your brother before! How come I don't see him when I come over?" Bokuto's eyes then lit up when he ate the food, "This is delicious!"

"Thank you!" The female grinned at him. She cut a piece of salmon with her chopsticks, "Well, my brother was working overseas. He's coming back today, so you'll see him later."

"He works overseas?" Bokuto questioned.

"Yeah. He was in Australia for a previous job, and his next job is in Japan in a few weeks, so you'll see him more often since he's on his break. He travels between Aus, Japan and the US, as well as some other countries when he's booked." Shiori explained.

"Oh wow…what does he do?" Yukie had already finished her meal, faster than Bokuto.

"He's a photographer. He's pretty established in the photography world." Shiori grinned, feeling proud. "That's why I never see him all the time, since he travels everywhere."

 _A photographer?_ Akaashi thought for a moment. _Arata…? In that case, he'd be Maebara Arata. Where have I heard that before?_

"He takes a range of photos, so like for travel, sports, weddings, pictorials, you name it; he does it." The girl smiled as she ate her food. She felt happier when her brother was home, since they got along very well, and supported each other well. If they weren't in each other's presence, they'd call each other once or twice a week to see how the other was doing.

"How old is he? Wouldn't it take a long time to get famous like that?" Konoha questioned, mouth half full.

"He's 5 years older than me. So, he's 23. He started photography when he was really young though, so he just built on what he was taught and just kept doing it." She grinned. She let out a light 'ah', remembering something. She added, "He's also the one who taught me how to play volleyball. He still plays, actually, but just as a hobby."

"Oohh! Is he good?!" Bokuto got excited as he leaned forward, expecting a great answer. "If he's your brother then that means he's definitely good!"

"Depends on which skills you're talking about. He's a middle blocker, so he's a pretty good all-rounder. Won a number of tournaments in high school and uni, if I recall." She looked up to think for a moment.

"Eh?!" Bokuto's eyes went wide but his lips curled into a wide grin. "I want to meet him!"

"You'll meet him tonight. He'll be back by the night sometime." Shiori laughed.

Bokuto pouted, lower lip protruding as he stood up and headed to the kitchen to get more food, taking Yukie's as well to refill.

"What does your brother look like?" Yukie was curious. If he looked anything like a male version of Shiori, she would like to see it.

"He's tall, and he always dyes his hair." Was the 3rd year volleyball player's answer. "I think he dyed it pink last time. He likes wacky things but he always styles it well so it annoys me how all colours look good on him."

Yukie blinked, looking a little bemused. Was her brother nothing like her at all?

 _I wonder what colour he dyed it this time…_ Shiori wanted to sweat drop. If he dyed it pink last time, then it might be something like bright orange this time. She wasn't too sure, Arata had always been an unpredictable fellow when it concerned the colour of his hair.

"Oh, by the way, I brought your notebook!" Bokuto suddenly remembered, heading back to the table. He set down the plate for Yukie who gave him a nodding thanks, and for himself to dig in.

"Oh?" The wing spiker's brows rose as she looked at him with a surprised expression. Then, she felt a smirk tugging at her lips when she proceeded to tease him, "Are you sure Keiji didn't remind you?"

"Gah?! How did you know?!"

"So he did." She turned to the setter, "Thanks, Akaashi. What would I do without you?" She laughed.

"It's no problem." The setter replied.

"Well, no matter. You would have given it back to me at school later anyway."

* * *

"Shiori-san, can I see some of the photos your brother took?" Akaashi asked, approaching her when she was taking a quick rest on the beanbag for their break. He had a hunch that he was going to recognise them since Arata was an established photographer.

"Hm? Yeah, okay. He's got a cool site, so you can check it out there. I'll just bring my laptop for you." She went to get her laptop from her room.

Akaashi waited at the lounge, listening in on Bokuto's complaining to Yukie and Konoha. He fiddled with his fingers out of habit, staring outside at the sky dyed with purples, blues and pinks.

 _It's this late already?_ He thought. _Then, Arata-san should be arriving soon._

"Okay, so here's one of them!" Shiori had come back and put her laptop down onto the table, motioning for the male to come closer to see. She moved to the side when she got the site up, "This is his site. He's got lots of stuff under different categories so just take a look."

"Thank you."

He scrolled through the pictures, seeing each of them taken with absolutely breathtaking angles and lighting, along with feel. He had seen some of them on the internet before, and on some people's phone backgrounds or notebook covers. When he went to a separate category that said 'volleyball', he saw pictures of famous players and hobbyists, all of which were playing volleyball without looking at the camera. He scrolled down, and the very first ones were some that he remembered.

"Hm? What are you looking so intently at?" Shiori noticed him stop scrolling, and looked at the screen, seeing herself, but years younger. "Hey, that's me!" She sounded surprised.

She then grinned, remembering the fond memory of when that photo was taken. It was at the first match she had ever played. Even though her team lost, she still showed a smile because it was so fun. She was probably around 7 years old. It was before she went back to Japan.

Akaashi looked at the next picture. There was only one picture of Shiori when she was quite young, but there were a few when she was in middle school, all of them the ones that were taken for posters that were shown around in Miyagi. Some of them were pictures that were included in the pamphlet that observers of the national's tournament got. He recognised some from there.

 _I see. So it was her brother that took those. They're wonderful pictures,_ the setter praised mentally.

"Uh...do you like the picture that much?" Shiori snickered lightly, finding this side of Akaashi amusing. She didn't know that he had an interest in photography (or he was just looking at it because he was curious, but she wasn't too sure which one it was).

"It's a good picture." He closed the laptop, "I just remember seeing it on the pamphlet back when I was watching your matches." He stood up and went over to the others, leaving Shiori baffled at his words.

 _There he goes again, saying something like that so easily! He's practically rubbing it in my face that he attended my middle school matches,_ she sweat dropped.

She got her laptop and headed back to her room. She didn't expect to find Bokuto sitting cross legged in front of her bookshelf, reading manga.

"Kou, when did you get in here?" She lightly patted his spiky hair and put down her stuff, crouching to see what he was reading.

"Wait, wait, I'm reading a good part!" Bokuto shushed her, staring intently at the pictures.

Shiori read over his shoulder, nodding her head in acknowledgement. He was reading HQ!, the volleyball manga that was really popular. Of course, volleyball players would read it. It was at the part where the main character went to a training camp after losing to a team in the semi-finals for their Inter Highs. Bokuto was currently reading the part when the troublesome middle blocker of the main character's team was dragged away by two of the Tokyo school's team captains.

"Hey, hey, hey," Shiori mimicked him, standing back up, "When you're done, close the light okay?" She went back outside.

"Yeah, okay!"

"Is Bokuto in there?" Konoha asked.

"Yeah. He's reading HQ! right now." She laughed, turning to Yukie, "You were right, he really did raid my manga collection."

Yukie hummed, her hands on her hips because she knew she was right. "Told you so!" She spoke in a lax voice.

"Oh yeah, my brother will be back anytime soon so he'll be here with us too. Don't worry about being formal with him, just treat him like a friend. He doesn't care for formalities." Shiori went to the fridge when her stomach rumbled. She got out some onigiri that she had prepared earlier and handed them out as a snack to the others.

"He'll be sleeping in my parent's room, so don't worry about taking over his room." She turned to the guys. "He's a lazy ass so just do whatever. You can even raid his clothes and he probably won't care too much."

The others blinked at her use of words; she was speaking a bit more crudely than she had before. Was it because she was talking about her brother that she was saying that? She didn't seem to have any malicious intention behind it.

"A lazy ass?" Yukie repeated her friend's words, her image of an ikemen brother shattering in her mind.

"It's okay, Yukie." Shiori patted her friend's back as she dropped to all fours, a depressing aura around her. "You'll be totally disappointed."

"I don't know if you're speaking of him in an insulting but tender way, or if you're just insulting him." Konoha remarked.

"Oh, it's a mixture of both. We're on pretty good terms. We openly be mean to each other because we know we won't get offended." Shiori elaborated, "It's just sibling things—it's different for those born and raised here, but over in Australia there were no strict codes or rules in treating siblings with respect." She added after a moment of thought, "Well, not really our family, since we're kinda lax, but yeah."

"Anyway!" Shiori clapped her hands together, "Have a little rest, yeah? I'm going to go prepare dinner."

"I'll help!" Yukie followed after the female as she headed to the kitchen. "What are we making?" There were no ingredients out.

"We're going to make ramen." The taller woman headed to the fridge and took out a chunk of meat, "We're going to slow cook this first, though."

"Eh? Are you making gourmet food, Shiori?" Yukie giggled and took the meat from her.

"Nah, this is what I feel like at the moment. Do you know how to make it?"

"I haven't done anything like this before."

"Okay, I'll teach you, then! Just wait a little bit while I get the veges…"

* * *

"She would make such a good wife." Konoha accidently spoke his mind when he was watching Shiori and Yukie. Shiori seemed to be teaching Yukie how to do something, but he couldn't hear their conversation from the lounge. The girls couldn't hear them either.

Akaashi and Bokuto (he had finished reading and left Shiori's room) turned to Konoha as if he said something weird (which he kind of did). The setter looked kind of surprised that the jack of all trades would say something like that so suddenly.

"I know right?!" Bokuto's eyes gleamed as he grinned. "Wait, which one?" He glanced at the two.

"They're both good but…" Konoha chuckled nervously, self-conscious that he had said aloud his thoughts. "I meant Shiori. Her food tastes great."

"Same!" Bokuto and Konoha cheered as he gripped each other's hands in acknowledgement of each other's' words.

Akaashi just watched them, not even wasting his breath to sigh out exasperatedly. He was used to them doing that; they did it on a daily basis.

"If you like her so much, why don't you just confess?" The setter asked. He was honestly curious as to why they wouldn't, since they fanboyed over her a lot during her absence.

Bokuto and Konoha stopped and stared at Akaashi, surprised featured on their face. They looked at each other once before letting out a long, "Hm…"

"What's wrong?" Akaashi questioned. He expected a quick answer from them.

"Well, of course we really like her, but…" Bokuto started, rubbing his chin. He crossed his arms, brows furrowed together as he looked somewhere to form his words.

"She's not really…the type that would reciprocate someone's feelings." Konoha said it slowly, almost unsure of his words.

That kind of answer shocked the second year. His brows raised and he eyes slightly widened. "Why is that? You won't know until you try." He regained his composure.

Bokuto said, "It's more like, if I confessed, she'd be the type of person to say thanks and reject me right then and there without filter, even giving a reason why. Like, it's not bad but…"

"Yeah, yeah, kinda like that if it were to happen." Konoha nodded at Bokuto's words, then turned to the vice-captain, "If I had to say it in non-realistic terms, she'd be unattainable."

"Unattainable?" Akaashi raised a brow at his words.

"Yeah, yeah! Like, I'd be too scared to confess." Bokuto shrugged. "I like her very, very much as a friend! Though it'd be nice to have her as a girlfriend." He uncrossed his arms and leaned back.

"It's hard to have romantic feelings towards someone like her," Konoha sighed, "I don't mean it in a bad way, but she's so stable that she doesn't need somebody, is what it feels like." He nodded at his own words. "It's not bad either, but I don't, uh…want her to leave so easily? Is what I mean."

Akaashi was honestly astonished by their answers. It was more than he'd thought he'd get from them, but it was a good change.

 _I don't know much about a topic like this, but I do get what they mean,_ Akaashi mused. _I doubt that she will leave someone so willingly like what Konoha-san says. From what I know, she's loyal. If she wasn't, she would have quit volleyball a long time ago._

He found himself wondering if Shiori had ever dated before. It was a strange thought that had passed, but it wasn't out of the ordinary considering the topic of conversation.

Bokuto stared at Shiori as she was speaking to Yukie. Of course what he said earlier was true. But, being the airhead he was sometimes, he didn't know the boundaries of his feelings. He just knew that he liked her a lot, because they were friends.

Konoha, too. He was a little more aware, but he himself was incredibly unsure, which resulted in those words. He felt like he didn't know if he just admired her, idolised her and put her on a pedestal or whatnot.

Akaashi wondered if he, too, thought of her any more than platonic. For him, it was a bit different from Bokuto and Konoha. He had admired her from when he first saw her play, from when he was young. Not her looks, not her personality, but her play, because it spoke just as much as her innermost personality, even if just the surface of it.

Before he knew her as the one whom he'd admired for her plays, he didn't mind her. He found her interesting and tolerable, fun even (though it never really showed on his face), but it always confused him as to why she treated him slightly different than the others in the group, even though they hung out daily (he thought it might have been because they knew her for a whole year beforehand).

Afterwards, his thoughts of her didn't change too much, but he did understand her a little more, and he found himself wanting to find out more.

With the current topic at hand, his mind went back to him initiating the hug the night before, that twinge of happiness he felt, and the rising of colour to his cheeks.

He started to fiddle with his fingers again. He had felt unsure before, but now that he was made more aware of it, he become even more so.

He only knew that he enjoyed her presence—just as much as he liked to play volleyball.

And it was only starting to grow.


	12. raison 11

égoïste

raison #11

* * *

"Hey, you make ramen tonight?"

When the door opened with the sound of the lock unlocking, everyone's heads turned to the door, looking towards the new presence. He was speaking in fluent English despite his Asian appearance, which made them conclude that he was Arata, the brother of Shiori.

"Oh, hi!" Arata noticed the group of people studying at the dining table, giving them a friendly wave and a toothy grin. He spoke in Japanese.

Yukie's jaw nearly dropped to the ground when she saw him. Bokuto and Konoha's eyes went wide, and Akaashi held the same nonchalant expression.

Shiori stood up and headed over to Arata quickly, giving him a strong hug, "Arata! Welcome back!" She grinned up at him and let go, punching him lightly in his built chest, "Geez, I forgot how you're so tall!"

Yukie and Bokuto, the ones most affected by the new presence in the house, stared at him in awe.

The manager expected him to be the opposite of now, and Bokuto thought he was just really tall and good looking.

Arata was a lot taller than Shiori and was well built; he was around 189cm, taller than Kuroo from Nekoma, and around Shiratorizawa's Ushijima's height. Surprisingly, he had normal coloured hair, though it was still dyed, but to a light brown. His hair wasn't short nor long and was parted to the side, and he had the same dark chocolate coloured eyes as his sister. He could probably still pass for a university student.

 _What a nice jawline…_ Yukie openly stared at him for a long time. _So handsome?!_ She could see the resemblance between Shiori and Arata.

Konoha felt himself become a statue as he looked at Arata. _He could pass for a model?!_

"This is your brother?!" Bokuto exclaimed loudly, shocked.

Shiori glanced over at Bokuto, stifling a laugh at his reaction. "Yeah, it is." She put her attention back on her brother, "Arata, these are my friends from school." She put out her hand to Akaashi, moving along after to Konoha, Bokuto and Yukie, "This is Akaashi Keiji, Konoha Akinori, Bokuto Koutarou and Yukie Shirofuku."

"Nice to meet you all. I'm Maebara Arata, just call me Arata. I hope Shiori hasn't made you want to fall off a cliff—ow?!" Shiori had stabbed him in the abdomen with a smile on her face, skipping off into the kitchen.

Arata let out a light gasp and grimaced as he held the area where she jabbed.

"Yup, I made ramen, I left some for you so here you go." She placed a bowl of steaming hot ramen onto the kitchen counter. "I'll bring your stuff to parents' room, so eat up first."

"Arata-san, I heard from Shiori that you play volleyball!" Bokuto piped up, feeling his excitement cover his shock.

Arata took the bowl of ramen and took a seat that wasn't taken at the table, smiling as he remembered the familiar scent of delicious homemade ramen. "Yup, I do." He started to eat as Bokuto pegged him question after question, with the others occasionally throwing in a question for themselves.

"Wow, so many questions!" Arata laughed, grinning. "Did Shiori tell you to not hold back?"

Bokuto stopped and apologized quickly, "Sorry if I'm being rude."

"Nah, it's fine. I don't mind." The older male shook his head, slurping some noodles.

"Arata, where are those snacks that you said you were getting?" Shiori called from the bedroom.

He raised his voice a little so she could hear, "Big case!"

Akaashi stared at the older brother; they resembled each other but not so much that you could immediately tell. He was indeed taller than Kuroo, and he had an air of coolness around him, almost like Shiori did when she didn't smile or laugh. Was it a sibling thing?

"Ooh!" Shiori's voice could be heard from the other room as she came out, holding a bag of snacks that her brother had brought back from Australia. "He brought back macadamias, nougats and stuff!"

She grinned and hurried to the table, putting the bag on the middle of the table. They had finished dinner about 15 minutes before Arata came home, so they were just sitting around talking.

"Have you guys tried them before?" She took out a container from the bag and opened it; it had roasted and salted macadamias. She passed it around, doing the same to the nougats and other stuff.

"These are really nice!" Yukie exclaimed, taking a few more.

"Glad you like them." When Arata sent a smile to Yukie, she smiled back while chewing happily. She had momentarily forgotten about his handsome visuals.

"Well, good luck with studying." The tall man washed the dishes and headed off, waving lazily as he yawned. "Thanks for the food, Ricchan!"

Shiori got her study materials from the ground, "Alright, let's do some more. I want to watch a documentary after."

"You're still into those? You're such a kid!" Arata called from the other room.

"HEY! You watch them too!" She retorted.

"Shush, that's a secret!"

"Are you guys always like this?" Yukie questioned, getting her stuff up as well.

The Maebara nodded, "Yeah. He's a tease."

"As if you're not." The manager deadpanned.

Shiori pouted, not answering her because she knew it was true.

"Anyway! Let's just get this over and done with. Documentaries don't watch themselves."

* * *

"Does it run in the family?" Bokuto turned to Konoha when he spoke.

Akaashi had refused to take the bed because he didn't want to get kicked off accidently by Bokuto, and Konoha was forced to sleep next to him.

"What are you talking about?" The wing spiker questioned with a raise of the brow. They weren't sleeping yet, just sitting on the beds.

"I meant Shiori and Arata-san." Bokuto crossed his arms and nodded, agreeing silently with something he was thinking of.

"Uh, what do you mean?"

"Arata-san looks like a model! And he's tall!" Bokuto made extravagant hand gestures. "Why haven't I heard of him before?!"

"You mean from when he played volleyball?" Akaashi asked.

"Yeah!"

"I don't know. Shiori-san said he won lots of tournaments in high school and university, so he might have been part of a powerhouse school."

"Like what school? Do you think he went to Fukurodani as well?!"

"I don't think so." The setter remembered that Shiori was living in Miyagi prior to Tokyo, so that would mean that her brother would have gone to a school in Miyagi.

"Eh…" The ace plopped onto his back on the bed. It was comfortable. "I want to see him play volleyball tomorrow!"

"You should rest your body, Bokuto-san." Akaashi reminded.

"I actually want to see him play too." Konoha spoke up. He was quiet the whole time since he was beginning to get drowsy.

"Go to sleep, Konoha-san, Bokuto-san." The setter stood up, knowing that they could decide the day after and went to close the lights, but there was a knock on the door that was partially opened. Shiori peeked her head through, seeing the setter first.

"Oh, you guys are still awake?" She looked at Konoha, whose nose was beginning to form a bubble from his drowsiness. Her eyes drifted to Bokuto, who had turned his head to face the door. She turned to the setter. He had stopped next to the door, not closing the lights yet.

"We were just going to sleep." His eyes trailed down to her pyjamas since they were so colourful; it was a matching T shirt and shorts pair of penguins and flying pigs. It was interesting.

"These are so cute, right?!" She grinned when she saw him staring at them, opening the door a little wider to show him the cool pattern.

Akaashi didn't say anything but only gave a light hum that didn't agree or disagree.

"OH! They're cute!" Bokuto had gotten off the bed and went to where Shiori was, doing a little modelling for her pjs.

She snickered, "I know right? I'm such a dork, I wear things like these." She let out a light laugh, "Anyway, I just came by to ask how you guys are doing. Is everything comfortable?"

"Yes, thank you." Akaashi smiled.

"Yup! The bed's really comfy." Bokuto pointed to it with his thumb.

"Mhmm, thanks for this." Konoha had somehow gotten himself off the bed, giving a sleepy smile to the female before falling back onto it, "Goodnight!"

"Goodnight, Aki." She turned to the captain and vice-captain, "I'll bid you two goodnight now, okay? Have sweet dreams! I'll see you in the morning!" She smiled warmly at them and headed out back to her own room, one that she was currently sharing with Yukie.

"Goodnight, Shiori-san."

"Night, Shiori!"

* * *

"You should give me your brother's number." Yukie poked Shiori's sides, making her squirm and push her hands away in reflex.

"You interested?" She kept her tone steady and low, making sure she wasn't so loud that she'd wake the others up.

Yukie's cheeks flared, but under the cover of darkness, Shiori couldn't see.

"Well, I'm not helping you with that. Just get to know him and you'll get it no problem." The owner of the room rolled around so that she wasn't facing Yukie, closing her eyes.

But, she didn't sleep because Yukie was poking her back, which then turned to light punches. "You're supposed to help me out!"

"How am I supposed to help you out if I don't have any experience with this sort of thing?" Shiori let out an annoyed groan as she rolled back to face Yukie with an irritated expression.

"What?" Shirofuku stared at the dark outlines of her friend, wondering if she heard right. "You mean to say that you haven't—"

"No, I haven't." Shiori cut her off irritably. "I don't know why people are so intent on having this whole love affair thing but it's not on my priorities list at all." She sighed after a moment, adding, "But I can't really help you because I really haven't."

Yukie was shocked—she had no idea! Shiori never talked about any romantic interests at all, only saying stuff like, 'I like this person very much' and so on but never in a romantic sense. It was always platonic. Heck, she probably loved the characters of HQ! as much as she did her friends.

 _She really hasn't dated before?! But…I'd assume she'd have been asked out by lots of people…she's friendly, nice, optimistic…wha…this is shocking,_ Yukie scratched her head, wondering why no one would confess to her. _Maybe she rejected them unknowingly?_

"I never knew that." Yukie started, whispering quietly.

"That isn't something to pity over, you know." Shiori closed her eyes, but Yukie knew she was listening.

"I always thought that you were the type to have lots of confessions."

"Never knew you thought that way about me, Yuki. But no, I haven't even received one. I can't live up to your expectations," She laughed gently.

"So you don't have a crush on anybody either?"

"No, I don't. I don't know, I just don't feel it."

"Have you ever fallen in love?" Yukie was beginning to get curious about her friend. It had been awhile since she'd had a deep conversation with her, and it was interesting how Shiori wasn't who she thought she was.

The volleyball player was silent, almost deceptively allowing Yukie to think she had fallen asleep, when she was only trying to form words.

"…no, I don't think so."

"Not even a crush?"

"I'm not sure. I don't really view people in the romantic light."

"…I'm wondering if I'll ever get to see you get married."

"I don't know. I might be single for the rest of my life if it keeps up at this pace."

"No you won't!" Yukie knew that there were definitely people out there who wanted someone like her, so she didn't want to deny her the possibility. But Shiori herself, she seemed to be the type that would need to know a person for a while to be able to feel anything at all.

"Ah! What about Bokuto?" Shirofuku wondered. She was going to throw out people that she knew to see what Shiori's opinion of them were. Of course, she wasn't going to tell them, but keep it to herself.

"What about Bokuto?"

"You know!"

"Uh…no? He's a boisterous, sweet idiot and I do love him very much, but I don't know if I'll ever fall in love with him."

"Hm…Konoha?"

"He's a great guy. Would probably make a good husband, actually. He's able to do lots of stuff. But, dunno if I would either."

"Akaashi?"

Shiori opened one eye, seeing Yukie watching her intently.

"I'm not sure about him either. He's a great guy and can do lots of stuff. He's reliable. Can probably be a husband and wife combined together."

Yukie chuckled at her comments, "Those are quite vague, you know."

"I know. I don't really know what to say. I love them all as my good friends." Shiori closed her eyes, exhaling. "I'm getting sleepy. Goodnight, Yuki."

"Goodnight."

* * *

"Good morning, Akaashi." Arata greeted with a smile, holding a mug of warm water. He was leaning against the counter when the setter had finished his morning routine earlier than everyone else.

"Good morning, Arata-san. You're up early." He commented, getting his own glass of water to drink.

"Mhmm," The Maebara hummed, "I got a good sleep, so I'm not at all jet lagged."

"That's good." Akaashi drank the water slowly, savouring the morning. The house was bright because the windows were open and the curtains were drawn back, letting the natural light in. It was quite calming. It was his first time to sleepover at Shiori's house, so it was something new.

"Shiori's told me about you. Said you're the setter for Fukurodani." Arata smiled when Akaashi looked up to meet his brown eyes with mild surprise. He nodded in response. "She also told me that she was annoyed at you for wanting to set to her because you're so busy."

Akaashi sweated, _what did she tell Arata-san?_

He couldn't deny any of them though, because they were all true. He didn't expect Shiori to have a brother that she confided to. He just didn't know that she would talk to someone else about it.

"Yeah, I think she might be." Akaashi took a sip.

Arata smiled, finishing off his cup of water. "Even if she says something like that, she's probably quite happy that you'd do something like this for her." He paused, chuckling at an image of his sister in his mind, "Even if she doesn't look it. She won't hate you for it, though."

Akaashi observed as the man raided the fridge, trying to find something to eat. "What do you mean, Arata-san?"

"Shiori really loves volleyball. She was quite obsessed with it when she was young, but it's mellowed out a bit." Arata paused, then took a look at Akaashi, "If you're willing to set for her, you know about why she doesn't play in official tournaments, right?"

The setter nodded.

"Yeah. It's been bothering her for a while, but she hasn't given up." The photographer smiled to himself small, brows slanted the opposite way, "Even if she denies it or postpones it, she really does want to play on the national stages again."

 _I'll make that happen,_ is what Akaashi wanted to say, but he knew that that wasn't up to him, but rather the third year herself.

"Oh. By the way, if you're going to be setting to her, that means you'll be doing spiking practice, aren't you? What about your ace? Wouldn't it be counterproductive to do something for someone else when you've got your own team to manage?" Arata questioned, bringing out the eggs and some vegetables.

The photographer was curious as to how Akaashi thought. Behind his stoic face, what did he think? Especially after hearing from Shiori about him, Arata wanted to find out the reason behind why he wanted to help his sister. If it was said in a way similar to any of those back in Shiori's middle school, he would shut them down then and there, and not let him get any closer to his baby sister.

It was an innocent question, but Arata was cunning.

"I simply want to see her play." Akaashi responded. He paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts, "There are other aspects too, but that is the main reason."

Arata had temporarily stopped, pausing on his step to the cupboards. He turned to Akaashi, brows raised slightly in surprise.

 _That was honest to truth,_ the brother thought, getting the frying pan. He placed it on the stove. _He didn't have anything behind those words, nothing except honesty and truth. No sugar coating, nothing._

Arata let a small smile creep onto his lips when he had his back turned on Akaashi.

"Is that so? If you want to see her play, why don't you just watch her when she's playing in 'Pillows' at the sports centre?" Arata challenged him, bringing out the cutting board to cut the vegetables while the egg fried. He was going to throw out as many difficult questions as he could. If he had any lies, it would break easily.

"I do," Akaashi didn't even hesitate to say. "She plays very well."

"Very well? Does she not play at her best?"

"No, she doesn't."

Arata didn't expect that. He paused for a moment to look at Akaashi, silently asking him to elaborate, before continuing.

"It may look as if she is in top form, but I don't think she is. She's not the best at everything else but serves. However, her serves can get better, depending…on how she feels, I guess. Her spikes can improve a lot, too."

"…you have a lot to say, don't you?" Arata chuckled at Akaashi's blunt and complete honesty. If it were those girls from middle school or anyone else who was trying to get close to her for fame (or anything for that matter), they would sugar coat and it would be riddled with half-hearted promises.

"I simply want her to play in her top form."

"And what does top form mean to you?"

Akaashi put down his cup, having finished the contents. He went to wash the cup, "To be able to do what you're capable of doing, without any setbacks." He placed the washed cup on the drying rack. He turned to Arata, "So, like Shiori-san getting back that feeling that makes her enjoy winning a point, would make her play better."

The photographer hummed, nodding lightly at his words. "You seem to keep a close eye on Shiori, don't you?"

"…I do." The 2nd year answered.

Arata looked over his shoulder and chuckled, smiling at Akaashi. "Well, then. I'll leave her in your care, Akaashi-kun."

"Don't make it sound like I'm going to get married or something." Shiori walked into the kitchen, yawning, the reminiscent of her previous' night's conversation fresh in her mind. She shook her head to try and rid herself of her sleepiness, trying to find a cup somewhere to get some water.

"Well you're going to get married one day so—"

"Why don't you get married first before you say that?" Shiori cut him off, yawning yet again.

"Here." Akaashi handed her a spare cup. "Good morning, Shiori-san." He ignored the comical look on Arata's face.

"Mmm, morning, 'Kaashi." She hummed, pouring water.

"You're so mean to me, Ricchan." Arata cried fake tears as he flipped over the egg, frying the other side. He didn't care whether he ate sunny side or both sides fried. As long as it tasted good, it was fine.

"The meaner I am to you the more I love you, bro." She waved a hand in dismissal and drank the water in a few gulps. Once she finished, she spoke, "You have some time before your next job, right?" She was aiming this question towards her brother.

Akaashi followed her gaze. He was kind of glad she had interrupted and taken it all in stride, even making it somewhat of a joke. But, the setter knew that Arata wasn't kidding. It was absolutely obvious that he wanted what was best for his sister.

If it were a hero TV show, he would be the hero behind Shiori, the main character, and he would do anything from the shadows to protect her, and Shiori wouldn't know about it.

"Yeah, I do." Arata hummed and put the protein on separate plates for each person in the household, adding the chopped vegetables and some water into the pan before putting the lid on to steam it. He had done the rice earlier so it was sitting in the cooker.

"Why don't we play some volleyball? I think Bokuto mentioned that he wanted to play against you, or with you, or something." Shiori smiled, the sleepiness seemingly completely out of her system. "I also want to practice some other stuff."

"Hm? Really, now? You sure you want to get hit in the face again?" Her brother poked his tongue out childishly, remembering the previous time she played, the ball hit her square in the face and she got a bloody nose. It wasn't just once, it was a few times.

"Shut it; why don't you get spiked in the face with your own spikes?! Then you'll know how much it hurts!" Shiori snorted and crossed her arms.

"Well, I don't really like getting hurt so maybe not. But yeah, let's go play some volleyball." Arata grinned. "I haven't played with you in a while," He nodded at Akaashi, "You guys can come along too."

Akaashi nodded in response. He started to fiddle with his fingers out of habit.

"IT SMELLS SO GOOD!"

"Bokuto-san, it's not ready yet." Akaashi turned to face the owl like ace who had just entered, his stomach rumbling loudly. Yukie and Konoha followed behind him, drooling.

"The kitchen's going to get really cramped, guys." Arata sighed and opened the lid of the pan, stirring the veges around, "Go sit in the lounge or something."

"Yeah, okay, mum." Shiori headed off first, followed by the ace who greeted her with a pat on the back.

"Shiori! You know, last night, I had a dream where…" Bokuto rambled on. Even if it was the morning, the wing spiker was a bundle of energy already. Shiori was listening in, nodding every so often and interjecting when she felt that something was amusing or if she was surprised.

Arata whistled a light tune as he plated the food for everyone, watching them from his peripheral vision, and smiling when he heard Bokuto's cheer when Akaashi told him that they would be playing volleyball together later.


	13. raison 12

égoïste

raison #12

* * *

"Oooh! What was that?! Would I be able to do that too when I'm in uni?!" Bokuto hooted loudly, letting out a miniature scream of awe when he saw Arata's spike.

"Yup! Your body will be a lot stronger and you'll probably grow taller, too." Arata laughed, then added, "Maybe."

"Hey!" The ace sweated, "I'm still growing!"

"Do you mean your brain or your brawn?" Shiori remarked.

Konoha snickered, slapping a hand over his mouth to cover his laugh.

"HEY! KONOHA! DON'T LAUGH!" Bokuto snapped.

"Bokuto-san, calm down." Akaashi took a step forward to the ace.

They were currently at the sports centre, playing on one of the courts. Yukie wasn't being manager for the day so she was helping out the side with the Maebara siblings. The other side was with the Fukurodani volleyball team members, Bokuto, Akaashi and Konoha.

"So the score's at 7-5 right now, our lead." Yukie pulled over the cloth on the scoreboard and came back onto the court. She wasn't actually playing on the court, but just threw the ball over as a serve, since it wouldn't be fair that Arata, a full grown man, was on their team. They needed a handicap (which Shiori was incredibly apologetic to Yukie for when she told her – thankfully, Yukie said it was fine).

The game continued, and in the end the Fukurodani side won.

"Eh, that was quick." Arata commented with a smile, wiping his brow. He had fun. He glanced at his sister after getting his bottle, "Hey, you okay there?"

Shiori was thinking, he could tell. But, he didn't really know what. He assumed it had something to do with volleyball, but it could be anything. Sometimes he'd think she was thinking about one thing when she was thinking about another. It was misleading. Last time when they were playing volleyball and he asked her what was wrong because she was spacing out, she said that she was worried that the kitty she saw the other day was unsafe because it was going to rain that day.

"Should we switch it up a bit?" She questioned, tilting her head towards her schoolmates.

"Hm? You don't want to play with me?" He feigned hurt.

"No, I want to try out something with Akaashi as the setter. Plus, Konoha's good at everything so he can set for you." Shiori was reminded of Konoha's various skills that were invaluable to the Fukurodani team.

"Oh? He can set?" Arata's brows rose as he looked over to him.

"Yeah, he can."

"So, if you want this, then that means you want to practice your spiking." Arata grinned. He shrugged, "Well, it's better to have an actual setter set to you than my crappy skills."

"Yeah, I want to practice spiking." She made a face at him when she went to hit him lightly on the head, "Your setting skills aren't bad! They're pretty good!" She gently kicked him on the butt (he was sitting down), "Stop trying to make it sound like you suck when you don't! It's offensive to someone who knows that you're definitely not an amateur!"

"Hey! Don't hit your brother!"

"I didn't even hit you that hard!"

The 3rd years and 2nd year stared at them bickering. They were on break between rounds, so it was fine, but they hoped that they didn't keep it up for a long while.

"Keiji!" Shiori made a beeline for the setter, who was wiping the sweat off his face with a towel. "Set for me please!"

Her straight forwardness made him blink once, then twice, before he said, "Okay."

He thought that they'd practice this elsewhere at a different time, but it seemed she wanted to now. He didn't have a problem with it, but if they were going to do it in games then it wouldn't be a good idea if they just started synching up.

"I'm fine with the idea, but what if we don't synch?" He voiced his thoughts.

"Hm? Ah…yeah, if that happens, then that happens." She grinned. She didn't care too much if it would miss, it was probably a guarantee anyway, considering it was the first time they'd synch up.

Akaashi had a slight change in expression; a mixture of tiredness and 'it can't be helped'. Well, if she was fine with it, then it should be fine. He just needed to figure out what kind of toss would be best for her.

As he thought about that, he went through his minds' files to matches he's seen her play in, trying to figure out anything he could from the setters that were able to synch up with her.

 _She said she was hard to synch up to,_ he thought for a moment, putting down the towel and getting his drink bottle, _then that would mean that there's a difference in how she probably approaches the ball and net, which would throw off a setter if it was different each time. That would explain how her previous middle school setter was able to synch up easily, if she was able to notice that. Or, it could end up being the setter's fault entirely._

He found himself thinking too much, so he just let out a sigh and stopped it right then and there, hoping he didn't overthink it.

He glanced at Shiori and Yukie talking.

 _Shirofuku-san isn't really going to be part of the offence or defence, so it's pretty much a 3 on 2 right now. That would mean it's just us two playing. Meaning it'll be easier to see what kind of spiker she is._

 _I'll just see how it goes._

* * *

"Urgh," Shiori groaned when Arata went to serve. He was a strong server, especially so because he was a male and they were physically stronger. It annoyed her, because she wanted strength such as that when she made her serves. But because she was smaller, it was impossible. The only thing she had an advantage over when serving was her incredible control over it.

 _Damn, if that hits me in the face I'll definitely get a nosebleed,_ she silently cursed when she recalled a time when she had forgot to receive the ball because it was such a nice serve and it ended up hitting her face. It hurt like a bitch.

Akaashi didn't spare her a glance because he was focused on getting the ball and its trajectory, but he did hear her make a sound akin to annoyance.

"Go get 'em, Arata-san!" Bokuto grinned when his eyes fell upon Shiori, who made a face in return.

Konoha raised a brow at the funny faces exchanged between them, _are they having a weird expression war and who would win?_ He ignored them however, when Arata served.

It was a stronger serve than Bokuto, and made a loud sound when Shiori received it, her teeth gripping together as she dug it high to Akaashi. "All right, let's give this a go!"

She rocked off her feet and went into a short sprint, watching the blockers that would jump up at her to block her spike.

 _She's quick,_ he mentally took note of her run. They were good, but she was really quick on her feet, which made it a little hard to get it to an angle that would be good for her.

Akaashi set the ball, putting it into a position that seemed to be best for now. He made it a high one, similar to Bokuto's tosses, though a bit lower because she didn't reach as high.

When she jumped, he observed her reaction to his set. Her eyes were watching the ball as it came closer to her, but the toss was long. They widened just ever so slightly, and her body moved on accord as the spikers descended, just barely kicking it over, scoring a point.

She landed back on the ground, turning to Akaashi, "That was a good first toss!"

"No, it was long." Akaashi was already thinking about how he would make his next set, trying to finely tune it so that she would be able to spike well.

"Alright. I'll leave it to you, then. If it's long, if it's short, you can send them to me. I'll get it over the net." She grinned.

 _So cool!_ The three (and Yukie) on the other side of the net watched as she talked to Akaashi.

"You're the only one who can hit my tosses on this side." The setter deadpanned.

"Keiji! You're supposed to say, 'I'll do my best to give you a good toss'!" Shiori cried, crossing her arms, "Urgh, anyway, do whatever a toss and I'll get it over."

"You're so reliable, senpai." The setter said it with the most nonchalant, expressionless face and voice that she didn't know whether to believe that he was joking or being serious. In the end, she made an extremely confused expression that got the setter sighing.

"Let's continue the game, then." He went back into position. He actually meant his compliment, but it didn't seem to carry across.

Yukie was the one to serve on their side by default because they won a point. Bokuto received the ball and sent it to Konoha, who set it for Arata.

Akaashi was the one who received the ball this time, his brows furrowing at the power behind it. He managed to get it up, giving Shiori a high set from his dig. "Shiori-san!"

"Roger!" She did a quick run up and jumped, like she would in her serve. But, unlike her serve, the ball didn't hit her hand, but the top of her head, bouncing onto her side of the court. She had jumped too late. "Argh! Sorry!"

"Don't mind," Akaashi caught the ball and rolled it to the other side.

 _That one didn't work, either. She jumped a little late—so the set was too fast this time?_

"Toss to me again, Keiji!" Shiori told him. She didn't want to give up. His sets were better than the sets from the 2nd setter of her middle school. It was a good start.

"Okay." The boy nodded.

As the game progressed, so did the number of failed spikes and tosses. It frustrated Shiori that she wasn't able to make use of her friend's tosses.

Even though it didn't show on Akaashi's face, he was now beginning to understand how hard it was to synch up with her. He didn't know the exact reason why, but it just was. He suspected that it may be the timing of the jumps and how high she could reach, since it seemed to be different each time.

He called for a time out, calling her over to tell her of what he thought was the problem. He was 99% sure he was correct, but he wanted to test out his theory first.

"Shiori-san," Akaashi evened his breath, going up to her. She was panting, her hands on her knees and sweat dripping down her face. She used her shirt to wipe the sweat off, causing Akaashi to look away when she did.

"Yeah, what is it, Keiji?" She didn't sound like she gave up just yet.

His eyes landed on her once again, "Can you jump like you jump for a serve for the next spike?"

"Hm? Haven't I been jumping the same as I do when I'm serving?" She tilted her head slightly, mildly confused.

He shook his head, "The apex of your jump is higher than when you jump normally for spikes." He paused for a moment, nodding when she had the look that wanted to ask 'really?', "I think that's the reason why it's hard for setters to synch up with you—because it's hard to tell when you're going to jump to your apex or if you're going to do a regular jump."

Shiori's lips parted and formed an 'o', eyes brightening at his reasoning. She never knew that. This was the first time someone's told her.

"Alright," She gave him a determined smile, "I'll imagine it like I'm serving, then."

"Hit it as if you were hitting a serve, too." Akaashi gave her a nod.

He was sure this was going to work. He knew the apex of her jump like the back of his hand; since he's seen her serve so many times, in so many years. Her regular jump wasn't as high, so if he managed the higher one, he would manage the lower one.

"You guys ready?!" Bokuto called from the other side. They had finished up with their quick water break.

"Yeah!" Shiori called back.

"Okay…I'll serve, then." Yukie raised the ball to resume the round.

The ball left Yukie's hand, flying to the other side. Arata received the ball and dug it to Konoha, who in turn set it for Bokuto. Bokuto had gone in for a cross, but Shiori had jumped up, blocking his way, so he was forced to hit a straight. It went straight for Akaashi, allowing for him to dig it up, using the power behind it to let it ricochet into Shiori's direction. She landed on both feet and used an overhead toss so the ball went back to Akaashi. She took a few steps back and watched the ball, waiting for it to hit a certain point.

As the ball came back to the setter, Akaashi started to feel a pressure akin to when Shiori served. His dark eyes couldn't stop themselves from landing on her. She was watching the ball, and he could make out miniscule movements that she made, the exact same ones she did when she was watching the ball in the air when she served.

He knew she was ready.

When the ball reached his fingers, he set it up high, around the same height as it would be when she threw it up and hit it.

When the ball passed an imaginary spot that she always waited for it to come to when she served, she did a quick run up, jumping up, and hit it.

The sound of the ball hitting the ground echoed through the sports centre. It was a close shot, hitting the line of the left side of the court (Shiori's vision).

Konoha's eyes widened—it had zoomed right past his face. It was so fast that he couldn't see it, nor did he expect it.

 _Hey, hey…I thought you only did soft spikes, Shiori,_ Konoha sweated, _how the hell did you manage to do a spike that's like your serve?!_

She landed on the ground, her eyes wide. She stared at the spot that it landed, then at her hand then back at the spot. Her lips quivered as she was stuck for words, that familiar, amazing feeling of excitement pulsing through her veins, making her feel alive.

She looked up and turned, almost robotically, to Akaashi, who had an astonished look on his face.

"Keiji-kun…!" She breathed. She bounced to him, throwing her arms up for double high fives. Akaashi snapped out of his shock and smiled, hitting her hands with his own. "Keiji, Keiji, Keiji!" She repeated his name over and over, her features shining brightly as she couldn't stop moving excitedly. "We did it! We did it!" She cheered. "That was awesome! Your set was so good! That was awesome!" Her brain had probably short circuited and she was overwhelmed, hence the limited vocabulary.

She had the happiest smile on her face, one that reminded the setter of the time when she got a service ace back in middle school.

 _Ah—there it is. It hasn't changed._

Akaashi chuckled, "That was an amazing spike, Shiori-san." Judging from her levels of excitement and that smile, he knew that she was feeling something she thought she had lost a while ago.

"HEY, HEY, HEY!" Bokuto cheered for her, "THAT WAS AN AWESOME SPIKE!"

"Nice kill!" Konoha grinned.

"Thanks, Kou, Aki!" She gave the ace and spiker a set of double high fives.

"Shiori, how did you even? Last time I checked, you sucked more than this!" Arata teased.

She ignored her brother but gave him a light kick in the butt, then going off to do a high touch and talk excitedly with Yukie.

"Look at her go, she's so happy." Arata laughed, feeling a wide smile gracing his lips. It'd been a while since he'd seen his baby sister so happy about something related to her own volleyball plays.

The past years have been nothing but slow for her in terms of volleyball, anyway, so it was good to see her like this. He had missed it.

"That was just like her serve!" Bokuto grinned. "It went WHOOSH! And BAM! Do you think she could hit harder? That was a pretty hard hit!"

"If she could hit any harder that'd be overkill." Konoha stared at her excitedly talking.

"Actually, if she could control her spikes like she does her serves, _then_ that'd be overkill." Arata corrected.

The volleyball team members glanced up at the taller male, processing his words. Then, they all nodded at the same time.

"I know right…" Bokuto and Konoha sweated.

"But, you wouldn't need to worry about that. She'll be playing with other girls, anyway." The older Maebara dismissed it with a wave of his hand.

Konoha and Bokuto stared at Arata, then to Shiori, a blank look on their faces.

 _Isn't that even worse?_

Akaashi stared at their reactions while Arata chuckled.

 _I know how they feel. I was the subject of her serves for a long time. She got so good at them that even_ I _was terrified of receiving them sometimes. I got used to them though,_ Arata recalled the number of hours, days, months and years that it took Shiori to get where she was now. It really only applied to her insane serves, but from today, it seemed to apply to her spikes too. She had come a long way.

 _Even when she was small, she'd do whatever she could to be the best. It was for herself, because she'd set a goal. Others thought she was a prodigy at volleyball, at sport, but rather, it's more that she's a prodigy at learning things at an abnormally quicker pace and adjusting it to fit her, which can be easily confused with being a prodigy at something else,_ he sweat dropped, _well, maybe not things she's not interested in, though. More like practical things she's good at. But it does have its limitations, though, especially if it doesn't just involve herself._

 _Like spiking._

Arata glanced at Akaashi. He was engaged in conversation with Shiori. _I have to say, I was surprised that he wanted to set to Ricchan. I guess I was suspicious,_ he let his shoulders relax, _but, I think he's good. To be able to set to her and draw out something that even others weren't able to…Akaashi, what are you?_

"Alright, let's get back to the game. We just had a break." The male Maebara clapped his hands together and headed back to his own part of the court, followed by Konoha and Bokuto.

Akaashi and Shiori went back to their side, with Yukie at the very back if they ever needed to serve.

"Let's do this again, Keiji-kun!"

"Mhmm."

* * *

"Akaashi-kun," Arata went up to the setter after their game finished.

"Arata-san." The setter stated. He put his stuff back into his bag and stood up to face the older man.

"I just want to say thanks."

"Hm? What for?"

"Thanks for helping Shiori."

"Ah," The Fukurodani student let his lips part in surprise. He really didn't need to get thanked for something like that. He started fidgeting with his fingers, "There's no need to thank me for that."

Arata only smiled, noticing that little habit of his, "You're giving yourself too little credit." He patted the younger one on the back before going to talk to his sister and Yukie.

Akaashi took small steps to where the others were, slowly heading there after getting his bag.

He felt Arata was a nice person, and that he was a lot more knowledgeable than he seemed. Though, he did ask some pretty innocent sounding questions, even when they weren't really at all. He was just trying to protect his sister.

"Keiji-kun, come on, we're going. You're not always this slow, are you?" Shiori teased. She waved at him. The earlier spike she did was probably enough for her to be incredibly happy for the rest of the day, even if all the ones after that weren't as good as that one.

"I'm coming," He hastened his steps and followed behind her.

She smiled warmly at him and turned back around so she was facing the front, talking to Yukie and Konoha about what food they wanted to eat for lunch. Bokuto and Arata were talking about something volleyball related.

Akaashi looked ahead, but he found his eyes trailing to follow Shiori, observing her as she smiled and talked.

He was reminded of the feeling he got when he saw her succeed with that spike; it was enough to make him want to cheer, but he composed himself and only settled for a double high five instead.

The grin on her face, the gleaming of her eyes, the blush on her cheeks, the excitement that radiated off her—it was something he hadn't seen in a while; something he wanted to see again.

He found himself smiling small. He was happy that he was able to help her achieve something that was one step closer to her goal, and he was even happier that he got to see more of the Shiori that had captured him with her plays.

He was glad he didn't back down on the decision of helping her.

For Akaashi, what he thought was just a small thing, was changing. The more he was around her, the more he could feel it changing from within him, growing, stirring; and he thought that, maybe, the foreign emotion was a hoax, that it would go away. But he knew, it probably wouldn't. Because it was no hoax.

His hands that were shoved into his pockets formed into fists, brows knitting together.

 _It's only ever going to be one sided, anyway._


	14. raison 13

égoïste

raison #13

* * *

"I'll see you guys at school tomorrow!" Shiori beamed, waving at them happily as they left the restaurant they went to for lunch. Everyone was heading home. She didn't want to keep them with her for so long; they probably had stuff to do.

"It was nice meeting you all!" Arata grinned and waved. "Let's play some volleyball next time!"

When the others left their field of vision, the Maebara siblings headed home.

"Do you think dad's home yet?" Shiori questioned. "We were out the whole time."

"Yeah, he said he'd be back around the afternoon. It's like 3 now." Her brother checked his watch. "He should be back."

"Mhmm," Shiori hummed, a skip in her step.

Arata raised a brow, his lips tugging into a smile, "What's making you so happy today?" He already knew the answer, but he thought he'd ask anyway.

"Dad's coming back, and I did a success spike! Well, just one, but you know!" She beamed, looking over her shoulder after she skipped ahead. She pivoted on her heels and spun around to face her sibling, "I can't believe I managed to do one! I've been trying for ages!"

Arata just smiled, "That's good news, then." He was happy for her, truly. The last time he had come back to see her, she was always at the sports centre trying out spiking techniques (apart from serving), but they always failed. He remembered that the current team setter for 'Pillows' and her had worked for a very long time to get where they were at now.

 _I'm surprised that Akaashi was able to draw out her potential in just that game alone,_ Arata mused. He glanced at the shorter one, then ahead. _He's a good setter. Analytical; adaptable. He kind of reminds me of Tooru, in that aspect. Though I can't really say too much; Tooru's able to synch up with her perfectly when they play together, but they would still need to practice if they wanted to get to that level._

"Do you remember when I said I couldn't be a wing spiker?" Shiori looked to her brother.

"Hm?" Arata snapped out of his thoughts. "You mean back in middle school?"

Shiori pressed her lips together and averted her eyes to the ground, "Mhmm."

"Yeah, I remember."

 _How could I forget?_ He thought. He forced his expression to remain calm and neutral.

Back then, it was the last year of middle school for Shiori, and Arata was in his 2nd year of university. It was also the time when her teammates were somewhat shunning her because she was pulling down the team. The first half of the year was manageable to a point, but when it got to the second half of the year, it was harder to ignore, even for someone as headstrong as Shiori.

Arata recalled the times when Shiori would have club, and she would end up telling him what happened at that time when she came home. She would say that her team, who had previously stated that they would get to Nationals and make sure that they improved so much that nobody could keep up, had ditched her, and it was heartbreaking to watch. At first, Shiori didn't let it bother her at all because she had known them for a while, but after the first half of the schooling year, it began to affect her.

' _Aren't you a prodigy? You're supposed to be able to do something as simple as this! Get better!'_

' _Why aren't your spikes good? My sets are good enough for you to hit!'_

' _Why aren't you trying? We're doing our best, but you're just dragging the team down with your dillydallying!'_

As strong as the girl was, the pressure of being the best was intense.

She may have been unrivalled when it came to serves in her age group, but when it came down to other plays, she was only mediocre. She was always trying her best, for herself, and when she became part of a team, for the team as well. But, the team didn't understand, and blamed her for her 'slow' progress, thinking that the one who was the shadow of the ace, would have to be good at everything else as well.

They put her on a pedestal, only to tear it down because they forced their ideals.

The younger Maebara was made to take this burden alone, not telling her close childhood friends or family, with the only one that she confided in being Arata, who wasn't able to do anything during that time.

In the 2nd half of the year, she practiced more with the stars of the male team, which invited more misunderstandings from her team that would eventually lead her to seek comfort with Arata when he was home, the only one she confided her problems to. She tried to stay strong, but it was hard. She couldn't enjoy the sport that she loved so dearly, and her team wasn't a team anymore.

' _Arata, I'm no prodigy! Why do they keep saying I have to be the best at everything? I'm trying, I really am! Maybe I'm just not supposed to be a wing spiker…'_

Arata remembered his response very well.

' _It's because they expect the best of you that they're like this, you know. But you're only human. Even if you're good at one thing, there's always something you won't be as good at. I'm not saying you can't be good at everything, but you can try. And, you're trying really hard right now, despite everything that's happening, right? That means that you're still doing your best, even if someone else doesn't think so. As long as you do your best, it should be fine, right?'_

After Arata had spoken those words, Shiori broke out in tears. It was the one and only time she cried because of happenings in middle school. After that, she shed no more tears, but the smile that she had when she played volleyball was no longer present, the only remaining was the intensity in which she played.

Needless to say, in a sense, her previous team took away the joy she felt when doing a successful play.

"Well, I'm thinking otherwise, now. It's a bit late to say this, but…I think I can be a good wing spiker." Shiori grinned, stopping in her steps. Arata stopped, having realised they were in front of their house, and opened the gates.

"…you have always been a good spiker, Ricchan. Didn't anyone ever tell you that?" The older brother walked slowly to the front door, falling in step with his younger sister.

"No, they didn't." She shrugged, "Well, I never really spiked much to begin with, so I get why I'm bad—"

"Shiori. Don't say that you're bad at that when you did a good one before." Arata gently karate chopped the top of her head, brows knitted together to scold her. "Doing a jump serve and a spike if pretty much the same thing, just with a different approach."

"Doesn't that just mean it's different?!"

"Shut up! I'm not done! Back when you were doing that spike, before Akaashi set to you, what did he say to you?"

Shiori's lips parted when she understood Arata's reasoning, albeit a little slow. "Ah."

"See? That's what I mean," Arata grinned. He ruffled her hair and went inside after unlocking the door.

Shiori wandered inside, recalling Akaashi's words to her. If what he said was indeed true—and she had no doubt because it's Akaashi—then that would mean that it was like that for years. But she didn't get it; why did she jump normally sometimes and the other times she jumped to her apex?

 _Is it focus-related?_ Her face had contorted into one of thought.

"Arata, Shiori, you're back." The sound of light footsteps came into the hallway to greet the siblings.

"Daddy?!" Shiori was shocked for a moment when she saw her father, but then remembered that he was coming back that day. "Welcome back! How was the trip?"

"Dad! Welcome back!" Arata joyfully went up to the middle aged man and hugged him tightly, "I've missed you!"

The tall middle aged man smiled warmly at his son, then at his daughter, who had joined them in their hug.

"I've missed the two of you, too. How are both of you? Shiori, you took care of the house well." He grinned at her, then ruffled his older son's hair, "Arata, did you grow?"

The head of the Maebara family, Maebara Yusei, was a tall individual. He was a little shorter than Arata, but nonetheless, he was tall. For a middle aged man, he took care of himself well, making sure to dye his hair if there were any gray or white hairs and take care of his body both physically and internally. He didn't really look like a middle aged man at all, just a mature looking adult, though if one looked closely, some wrinkles could be seen from the stress of his job as a vet.

"Daddy! Did you bring back a new documentary?!" Shiori's eyes shone.

"You're still calling me that?" Yusei chuckled and let go of his children, "Yes, I brought one back. I've added it to the collection."

"Thanks, daddy!" Shiori made a beeline for the collection of DVDs in the shelf.

"I don't think she's ever going to call you anything else other than that." Arata laughed lightly, "And, no, I haven't grown. I've been the same. Dad, did you shrink?"

"I'm not that old yet!" Yusei cried. If it were a manga he'd have the lightning background in that instant.

"Oh yeah, mum said that we're going back in around a month's time, or something along the lines of that." Arata brought up. He got some water for himself and his father, "Are you coming with us?"

Yusei nodded, the glasses on top of his head falling back down onto his nose, making him blink rapidly before putting it back up to stop his black hair from falling down his face. "Yes, I am. I'll be here for the most part, and then I'll be working in Miyagi for a few weeks afterwards after our visit."

"Oh! You are? That's great! Mum's been wanting to see you." Arata grinned.

His father smiled warmly, the exact same smile that he had when he thought of his wife.

"Arata, have you gotten a girlfriend yet?"

"Dad, I think it's a little early—"

"Don't say that when you've had a few in the past, sonny."

"Guh. No, I don't." He nearly rolled his eyes at his father's question. He didn't want a girlfriend right now. Especially not ones that were there for his face.

"What about Shiori?" Yusei turned to her, who was watching the new documentary already.

Arata shook his head, "She's living the life of a bachelorette."

"Good!" Yusei crossed his arms over his chest, "She shouldn't be getting a boyfriend until after she finishes university and gets a good job!"

"Hey, hey, your protective father instincts are showing." Arata sweat dropped. "That's not what you said about me before!"

"That's because she's my precious baby!" The middle aged man smiled affectionately at his daughter, "I will absolutely _not_ allow anyone to touch her!"

"That's…" Arata sweated.

 _You're going to make her single for life, you know,_ was what Arata wanted to say, but he refrained himself. He knew where his dad was coming from; he didn't want Shiori to experience any form of heartbreak if things turned out for the worst, or anything that would hurt her. After all, she was his precious baby sister.

Arata thought to the setter from Fukurodani, suddenly thinking of him. He was sure that he was a good person; from what he had seen from his interactions from people of his team, and with Shiori. He also recalled the stuff that Shiori's told him about Akaashi.

… _maybe…?_ He was unsure with that aspect. He was trustworthy enough to leave Shiori in his hands, but…did he want any romantic relations between them?

 _I don't know,_ Arata put down the cup of water.

"Anyway, different topic, but you know how dogs are…"

* * *

 _This week was seriously so tiring. And so fast,_ Shiori stared up at the ceiling. It was probably midnight, but she was just lying on her back, unable to sleep just yet.

 _I can't believe so little time has passed and the amount of progress that's happened,_ she sat up and pulled her covers off her body to wrap around her shoulders. She looked outside, staring at the dim lights that were illuminating the streets.

 _I guess I should thank Keiji. After all, it's because of him that it's like this._

She thought back to the set that he gave her after he asked her to imagine herself serving. It had a good feeling behind it, one that she thought that she would forget. It wasn't the same as when she got those service aces in competition, but it was getting there.

She just hoped that she would be able to feel that excitement and happiness when she did something successful that wasn't a serve.

Her phone buzzed, indicating she got a message.

 **MiracleBoy: Did you hear?! Did you hear?! It's related to volleyball so you might know, but apparently there are rumours about Maebara, the girl volleyball player, starting up volleyball again!**

Shiori's brown eyes widened slightly, then her brows knitted together. She was tempted to write a message back, but what could she write? MiracleBoy doesn't know that he was talking to her about her.

 _I'll humour him._

 **FlyHigh: Oh yeah, I know her! But I haven't heard from her in a while. What kind of rumours are these? Isn't she from Miyagi?**

 **MiracleBoy: Yeah, she is! But you know, I saw online that someone said their friend's friend saw her at one of Tokyo's powerhouse schools for volleyball!**

Shiori inhaled and exhaled slowly. Just how far did these rumours spread?

 _Ah,_ she noticed another message from him.

 **MiracleBoy: But I don't know since I don't really know what she looks like. She doesn't really do any interviews and she always escaped when there were paparazzi, so she doesn't really have that many pictures. It's a good thing I actually went to a tournament of hers a few years ago! I got a picture, do you want to see?!**

Shiori stared at her phone, blinking a couple of times. He was asking her if she wanted to see a picture of herself.

 **FlyHigh: Sure, why not.**

 **MiracleBoy: She was a bit far away** **but she's really pretty! I would've liked to meet her one day. She was a good volleyball player! *picture attached***

The Maebara opened the picture. It was a zoomed in picture of her when she was taking a break on the side after being switched out to replenish her stamina. She was watching the game, holding a bottle of water.

 _Yeah…that's definitely me._ She sighed to herself lightly, reading his message again. She was happy that an anonymous person had told her these things since they didn't know it was her, but she didn't really know how to reply to it. In the end, she bullshitted it.

 **FlyHigh: Maybe you'll get to meet her one day!**

 **MiracleBoy: Maybe! That would be great! Oh! You said you were in Tokyo, right? If you see her, tell me!**

Shiori let out a light laugh. How was she going to look for herself when she is herself?

 **FlyHigh: I don't know if I'll see her, though.**

 **MiracleBoy: Well, if you do, tell me!**

 **FlyHigh: Yeah, okay.**

 _Yeah, I probably won't tell him,_ she massaged her shoulders gently, putting her phone away. _Maybe if I ever see this MiracleBoy in Miyagi._

She was most surprised by how quick information had spread—before long someone would actually recognise her and call her out.

 _Then they'll bug me with volleyball related stuffs,_ she sighed. She pulled the blankets so that she was under them and laying on her back.

When thinking about volleyball, she was reminded of Bokuto's plays. His straight that she saw earlier that day, it was indeed very straight. She was able to see it in person, so she was happy about that. Even if it was received, she was sure that if there wasn't anybody to get it, he would get a point for the team.

 _He's been working hard, that Kou. It's many times better than before,_ Shiori closed her eyes, but the images of him playing inside the gym didn't allow her to sleep. She ended up opening her eyes again and rolling to her side, staring at the door.

Her brows had creased and her lips had pressed together.

 _...spiking, huh._

* * *

Shiori yawned for the umpteenth time as she sat at her desk. She rested her forehead against the table, closing her eyes as the bell rung for the start of lunch break. She felt a light prodding on her back but didn't pay it no mind; she knew it was Yukie.

"Hm? Shiori, you okay?" Bokuto quizzed, crouching down so that he was to her side, trying to get a look at her face.

"I think she stayed up too late last night," Yukie said, taking out her lunch. Today she had a sandwich because she was too lazy to make something.

"My eyes feel like they're burning." Shiori kept them closed.

"It's okay, just play some volleyball and you'll be fine." Even without looking Bokuto in the face, she knew he was grinning.

 _Yeah, the problem is just that, mate,_ she rested her head against the desk, trying to get a little rest.

"Hey, can I open your lunch?" Bokuto was curious as to what she had today. Sometimes he asked this, and she didn't mind at all. He always took some of her lunch anyway, and she sometimes fed him (as well as the others who wanted her food).

She hummed in response and he took it out, drooling at the sight of it once he did. Yukie stared at it as well, eyes shining brightly as she nudged the resting girl.

"Hey, hey, I'm going to take some, okay?!" She said excitedly.

"Mhmm…just don't eat it all. I'd at least like to have half." Shiori replied.

"Thanks!"

"Shiori-san, are you not feeling well?" Akaashi soft voice asked. He sounded far away, so the volleyball player opened an eye and turned her head, seeing that Akaashi had come to the third years' classroom with his bento.

"Akaashi! You're early!" Bokuto said while he chewed some sausage made to look like an octopus.

"We were let out early." The setter replied.

"I'm fine. Just wanted to rest my eyes a bit," She opened the other eye and sat up. She looked to Yukie and Bokuto, who were chowing down on her big lunch (she had prepared extra because, of course, they would take some).

"Hm? Where's Konoha?" Shiori asked, taking her chopsticks from Bokuto.

"He might be getting his own lunch? I don't know." Yukie gobbled some mini rice balls.

Shiori picked up some egg and ate it, vaguely smiling at the delicious taste. When she looked to Bokuto, he was watching her.

Before he could even ask her a question, she sighed and nodded, "Yeah, okay. Open wide, Kou." She took another piece of egg and lifted it up for the baby of the volleyball team.

Bokuto's thick brows raised and he grinned, opening his mouth as he leaned forward to take the food. Once he did, he happily chewed, opening his yakisoba bread he had gotten. He was one of the firsts in line so he got it very quickly.

"Me too, me too!" Yukie tapped her shoulder and opened hers as she waited for food.

"Hai, hai…" Shiori laughed at her eager friend, taking another piece of egg and popping it into hers.

"Mmm!" The manager smiled contently as she chewed.

"Keiji, did you want some too?" Shiori questioned, grabbing another one.

The setter looked at her after he finished opening his bento box, and then nodded, finding no harm in it. It was only when a mischievous glint sparked in her eyes did he know that something was off.

"Say, 'ahh', Keiji-kun." She smiled sweetly at him, bringing the egg closer to him.

Akaashi blinked a couple of times, processing the information in his head. He then remembered that he said it was okay to feed him a few nights ago, which led to the situation now.

Bokuto and Yukie had looked at the setter with wide eyes. It was a first, that she was doing something like this to him. Akaashi stared at Shiori for a moment, then leaned forward. He didn't make a sound, just taking the egg from her utensils, pulling back when he did. He chewed contently. It was delicious.

"Where did the 'ahh' go?!" Shiori pouted, protruding her lower lip. She playfully huffed but then she broke out into a grin, "How is it?"

"Delicious."

"Hehe, thank you!"

Bokuto and Yukie exchanged glances, then each of them patted Akaashi on the back, grinning. "Welcome to the feeder's club!" They chorused.

"The what?"

"The feeders' club!" Konoha had joined in at that time, just in time to see Shiori feed the younger male. It was actually so interesting. He patted him on the back, "Took you long enough to join!"

He just stared at the third years as if it were a daily occurrence, no irritation on his expression whatsoever.

"Konoha, say 'ahh'!" Shiori was feeding Konoha, and he had done just as she had asked him to, taking it with a grin when standing up.

Akaashi didn't know what to feel about this. He was happy? He felt happy, but a small part of his mind was short-circuiting because she had fed him.

He quickly rid himself of those thoughts and just focused what was in front of him.

 _No, it doesn't mean anything. Nothing at all. She does this to the others, too. I know that._

Shiori beamed as she put a sausage octopus in front of the setter. "This time you've got to say 'ahh'!"

 _Don't overthink it._


	15. raison 14

égoïste

raison #14

* * *

"I think I've got this down!" Konoha cheered to himself as he successfully got over a good serve. He grinned, pumping his fists into the air.

"Oh!" Yukie clapped her hands twice, "That was good!"

"Thanks! I guess asking Shiori for help was worth it after all." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Yeah, she's been teaching a lot of the others, too. Their serves are all improving." Kaori came up to the other manager with a smile, holding a couple of volleyballs. She went next to Konoha, putting the stray balls into the basket.

"They might even become as good as her in the future." Yukie had her usual critter like smile.

Konoha took a ball from the basket and laughed, shaking his head. "No way, I don't think I'll ever be that dedicated to serves to be as good as her." He added, "She's in a whole other league."

Akaashi, happening to overhear this, popped in for an interjection, "Not for power, though. Just control."

"Well, I guess so," Konoha turned to the setter. "Imagine her hiking up in terms of power. She'd be invincible." He went quiet after that, then laughed lightly, no emotion behind it. "Yeah, that'd…be pretty intense, actually."

Akaashi said, "Yeah." He turned to Bokuto, who seemed to have a reignited vigour more so than before. Was it because of his meeting with Arata?

"Ne, Akaashi, why are you helping Shiori with spiking practice, anyway?" Yukie questioned. "I heard you guys talking about it."

"Oh yeah, at the practice game yesterday," Konoha placed a hand on his hip.

"Hm? What's happening?" Kaori asked, puzzled. Yukie filled her in on the details, leaving her with a surprised look when her eyes landed on the setter.

"I wanted to help her spike." He answered.

"Oh?" The three of them formed 'o's with their lips, wanting to find out more.

"AKAASHI! TOSS TO ME!" Bokuto shouted from the side of the court.

"Hai, hai…" The setter let out a breathless sigh and went to the ace. He was kind of glad for the interruption, because he didn't want to elaborate to the others. He wouldn't have known what to say.

* * *

"And we're done for the day!" The archery club's captain clapped her hands. Those who were handling bows put them down, placing them back where they were stored, while others rushed to retrieve the arrows on the targets.

Shiori stretched her fingers and arms, making sure that she did it properly to ensure no aches or soreness.

"Shiori-san," The club manager came up to her, "Thank you for always helping us out."

"Nah, it's fine. I enjoy archery." The teen grinned. "I'm glad I can help out."

The manager smiled, taking out a sheet of paper for her, "These need to be signed by your guardian and returned so we know that you can come along for the Inter Highs."

"Oh, yeah, okay." Shiori took it. She went to her bag and put it away when the manager left to go inform some others of the papers.

Shiori helped to pack up the area that they used, and then after, she changed, then checked her phone. It was about 6.30pm, and she was just leaving school.

Yes, they had an indoor archery training centre in Fukurodani.

 **MiracleBoy: Today I'm going to watch The Ring!**

She blinked at his message, stopping in her tracks as she texted him back, moving slowly.

 **FlyHigh: The Ring? Isn't that a horror movie?**

 **MiracleBoy: Well, yeah, it is, but the main actress is cute! Brunhilde Reiko!**

 **FlyHigh: Well…I guess that's a valid reason too. Good luck, don't shit your pants! XD**

 **MiracleBoy: Don't jinx me!**

 **FlyHigh: Hahahaha~**

"Shiori-san, watch your step."

"Hm?" Shiori stopped automatically, looking up from her phone. Akaashi was outside the centre. From the looks of it, he had come from practice. "Keiji? What are you doing here?" She questioned, putting her phone away.

"I was waiting for you." He said, tilting his head slightly.

"Why is that?" She questioned, "Did you have something to ask me?" She began to walk in the direction of her home, "Or did you want to practice spiking with me?" He easily matched up with her stride.

"If you have some free time." He shoved his hands into his pockets. "I'd like to practice setting to you."

"So spiking practice? Sure. Did you want to do it now?" She questioned with a raise of the brow, "You just finished practice so I'm sure you'd want to rest a little bit."

"It's fine."

"Well, if you're okay with that, then. I'm going to go home to get some snacks first, okay? Then we can go after eating something, or else we'll starve."

"That's a good idea."

As they proceeded to her house, Shiori and Akaashi exchanged conversation about random topics, involving anything, until it led to rumours that were spreading about the former.

"I heard from a friend that people have started to post about me online." She started. Akaashi glanced at her, keeping his gaze steady. "He's a friend from Miyagi, and it was only one person, but he said that someone spotted me playing volleyball in Tokyo, and spread it on this forum website."

"Are you afraid more people will spread that information?" Akaashi asked after a moment.

Shiori mulled over that thought—she wasn't sure exactly. Of course she didn't like the idea of it, but it was eventually going to happen anyways, especially if she was going to go back into the big leagues in volleyball. It was just a lot earlier than she expected.

"It's not that I'm afraid…but rather, I just don't want it to spread too much that people are trying to actively seek me out?" She wondered if this was the right way to word it.

"Don't worry too much about it." Akaashi didn't doubt that the information will spread quickly. Maybe in the next 6 months or something, it would already be spread so far and wide in Japan, but for now it should be okay.

"You know how Arata's a photographer?" Shiori started. Akaashi gave a nod and hum to signify that he did. "He gets rumours and stuff posted around very quickly, especially regarding relationships and scandals and such. Of course, there are both lies and truth in them, but that's what I'm worried about."

"The only scandal that you would have is fleeing Miyagi for Tokyo." The setter nonchalantly poked at her reason into coming to Tokyo.

"Hey! It's not that bad, okay?" She lightly elbowed him in the arm. "I meant that if any paparazzi or people who come to find me misunderstand stuff! Like, they could think I'm prioritising something else other than volleyball!"

"But they're only tabloids and rumours."

"Yeah, I know, but they bother me. It annoys me when something isn't right, especially when it concerns news coverages or tabloids or scandals and the like."

"Then just ignore it."

"Urgh…but then they'll write that I'm a cold hearted person or something."

"But we know you aren't."

Shiori was about to wave that comment off, but then stopped herself, looking at the setter with a set of slightly widened brown eyes. "That was actually so nice of you, Keiji-kun! I'm touched!" She placed a dramatic hand over her chest and playfully made a shocked expression.

Akaashi stared at her with a neutral expression, then, he did something that Shiori absolutely didn't except.

"You chuckled!" She exclaimed, mouth opening in shock. "Was it that funny?!" She grinned when he tried to stop his chuckle, looking away.

"No, it wasn't."

"Keiji-kun, stop lying!"

"I'm not."

Shiori let out a laugh when she playfully hit him on the arm gently. "Whatever you say!" She hummed a light tune. It wasn't every day that she saw this side of him. It was cute.

"This side of you is really endearing, you know that?" Shiori grinned at him. He looked at her with a surprised expression.

He was dumbstruck at how forward she was, even after knowing she was already a really forward person. It still stunned him.

"Don't look at me like that!" She laughed when he didn't reply, only giving her a questioning look, trying to hide his embarrassment.

When she looked away to unlock the gates to her house, he averted his eyes, calming down and preventing the blood that wanted to rush to his cheeks.

"Keiji?" Shiori called from the door. The setter looked back to her, seeing she had opened the door and was waiting for him to come in.

"Coming," He hurried his steps to make sure she didn't need to wait long.

* * *

 _Today we didn't have much success, either,_ Akaashi lay on his bed, staring up at the dark ceiling. He had just gone to bed and shut the lights, but he found himself thinking about how spiking practice went.

 _She's different to Bokuto—she can't jump at 100% each time and her stamina isn't as great. But she's got tenacity. If anything, her mentality is excellent._

During spiking practice, it was okay for the most part, but it was hard for her to keep jumping as she served each time; which the setter took note of. She wasn't a stamina machine, but she would continue to do it as if it didn't faze her, even though it obviously did, judging by the look on her face. He had to force her to take a break when that happened, unless she knew she had to stop.

 _We had only a few successful, good, spikes this time around. There were a lot of failures, too,_ the setter tallied up the results that he remembered. The failures outnumbered the successes by more than 10 times, but the spikes that were good, were good.

 _She can't control spikes like she does a serve yet. It's there, but it's uncultivated. Depending on how much practice she gets in, she'll be able to hit it well like it's nothing,_ the teen rolled to his side, staring at his desk.

He found himself wondering why she was always in his thoughts—did he ever feel this way before? Why did he feel it now?

 _It's nothing,_ he would convince himself. _I'm just helping a friend._

His mind wandered to when Shiori lent him her English notes before their practice, telling him that it was okay to borrow them. Behind that exterior of optimism and confidence, she was too nice. He knew she needed those notes later to add to them because she'd be having her English classes the following day, yet she still allowed him to borrow it because she knew he needed the advanced material to work on.

 _She's fluent, so I doubt she'd need it anyway, but it seems like she's only doing it to give to others to help revise,_ he figured. He let out a gentle exhale.

 _Ah_ , he remembered, _the Nekoma practice games are tomorrow. So is Bokuto-san, Konoha-san and Shiori-san's makeup quizzes._

* * *

"I heard from Bokuto that there'd be a cool girl that will be watching us at the practice games," Kuroo, the captain of the Nekoma boys' volleyball team, mentioned casually.

He had finished changing and was waiting for the others when he heard Yamamoto, their resident blonde Mohawk ace, complaining about them not having a female manager like Fukurodani or Karasuno.

"Are you sure he isn't lying?!" Yamamoto steered his head to look at the captain, who was looking through his phone to find the message Bokuto sent him.

"No, I don't think so." Kuroo found the message and showed him, revealing Bokuto's excited message about there being a really cool girl watching them.

Kenma stared at them with an apathetic face, looking away afterwards to play his game. They were going to get to Fukurodani after changing because of their scheduled practice match, so the setter wanted to get as much game time as he could before he was forced to participate in the sport.

"He could have at least attached a picture!" Yamamoto cried.

"He said that we'd see her there." Kuroo closed his phone and slipped it into his pocket, walking out of the club room. "Anyway, hurry up."

"Why does every other school except ours have beautiful girl managers?!" Yamamoto internally (and somewhat externally) screamed. He wished he had the guts to talk to a girl and ask them to become a manager for their team, but he couldn't.

"If she ends up being as cool as Bokuto says she is…" He shook his head, "No way! He's got to be lying!" He tried to convince himself. He wouldn't know for sure until he saw her.

Kai has his usual default smile as he exited the club room, waiting outside, "He's rambling again."

* * *

"Ah! Shiori! You're here!" Bokuto was the first to spot the third year, who had just come into the gym after class.

"Kou," She greeted him with a smile. He seemed really excitable today, which included the other members, who were watching her from afar when Bokuto announced her entrance.

Konoha came up to them with a grin, "Make sure to watch us reeeal," He elongated the vowel, "closely!"

"I will." She patted both wing spiker's shoulders and made her way to the managers, who were making sure that everything was prepared. They were setting up chairs and bringing out the uniforms that they used for official and practice matches.

"Do you want me to help?" She offered.

"Oh, nah, it's fine. These are the last ones." Yukie put down a chair.

"Hm, I see." She watched as Kaori left the uniforms on the chairs, then went to help with other tasks.

"Are you excited to watch us play?!" Bokuto's excited voice was loud enough for everyone in the gym to know that he was talking to Shiori. He bounded up next to her with a huge grin, clasping his hands around her shoulders as he jumped up and down.

If it were any other girl then he wouldn't do that, because it's more than likely that they'd fall over. Shiori though, she was sturdy enough.

"I guess so. I haven't seen a practice or real game from you guys before, apart from the ones that I watched from previous years." Shiori chuckled at her friend's enthusiasm. He was honestly way too excited.

"Make sure to watch closely, okay! I want to show you those straights I've been practicing!" The owl let go of her and went to go warm up.

 _His straights, huh…_ Shiori was reminded of the straights that he did while they were playing with Arata. _Can they get any better than that?_ She watched him as he went, being the happy go lucky simpleton he was.

"Thanks for coming today, Shiori!" Konoha pat her on the back as he went past her, grinning as he went to go warm up.

"It's…no problem." She said to no one in particular.

Akaashi jogged to the girl, invading her vision while she watched the warmup. "Why don't you go up to the bleachers?" He asked.

"Eh? Do you want me to go now?" She pointed to herself.

He shook his head, "No, it's alright. You can stand on the side or watch from the bleachers. Either is fine." He elaborated.

"Hm," She hummed, "I'll watch from the sidelines, then. I'd like to see you guys playing up close. The bleachers are too far away."

"Okay, then." He nodded to her before going ahead to join his team in warming up.

Shiori hummed a light tune, standing there while she had her arms behind her back, rocking on her heels. She was waiting for the managers to be done. Yukie and Kaori were done quite soon, and when they were, they joined the girl on the side.

"So when's Nekoma coming?" Shiori asked.

"Very soon. They should be here any minute now." Kaori replied.

"So, Kou tells me that the captain is a scheming guy. Is he really? Like, does he look like a criminal or something?" The volleyball player questioned.

Yukie laughed, shaking her head, "No, no, that's not what Bokuto meant. He meant that Kuroo is good at taunts and thinking up of schemes to get the better of the other team. Though, it usually falls to the setter too."

 _The setter, too, huh…that's totally different from Fukurodani. In Fukurodani, Akaashi is the one who is able to give Bokuto, the ace, the best tosses for the best shots. The biggest type of problem that he needs to solve is Bokuto's emo mode. Apart from that, Bokuto does do quite a bit to boost morale and stuff._

 _If Nekoma is what Yukie and Bokuto says it is, then that would mean that both the captain and setter are smart people. I heard Nekoma's good at defence, so it's quite something if they've got a good captain and setter, too._

Shiori felt the corner of her lips tugging up into a small smirk. She was starting to get excited to watch the match. She wanted to see what kind of teams the two were, when facing teams completely different from each other.

"Oh wow, warming up already?"

The new voice forced Shiori to look towards the door. She saw someone she hadn't seen before, with weirdly done hair clad in red trackies and a black shirt. Following behind him were several other people wearing pretty much the same thing.

"That's Nekoma." Yukie said from beside Shiori. She went up to them with Kaori, welcoming them and telling them of the plan for the practice match.

Shiori stayed rooted in her spot. She was just a spectator, so she shouldn't really get wound up in greeting them yet, until an opportunity presents itself.

So, she continued to watch the warmups from the side.

Unknown to her, the Nekoma team had already taken notice of her the minute they walked in.

"A girl…" Yamamoto felt like his soul had started to waste away. "And a beautiful one too!" He wanted to cry.

Yaku peeked from behind Kenma, "Is that the one that Bokuto was talking about?" The setter followed Yaku's gaze to Shiori, who was watching warmups. Kenma paused for a moment, then nodded.

"She looks familiar." The pudding haired commented.

"She looks kind of cold, though." Yaku mused, "But she does look a little bit familiar."

"Oya? You guys already trying to hit her up and you aren't even talking to her?" Kuroo taunted, glancing over his shoulder. "Plus, Yaku, I thought you only liked girls with short hair."

The libero's brows slanted slightly, "Her hair's not long either."

"She would look better with longer hair."

"She would look better with shorter!"

"Let's get ready for our warmups." Kai pleasantly clapped his hands and walked in between the two of them, snapping them out of their mini battle.

Yamamoto sniffed; why couldn't Nekoma have a beautiful girl manager?!

Kenma put his game away and went to put his stuff down, getting ready for warmups. His eyes stayed trained on Shiori—he was sure he'd seen her somewhere before.

"What, you too, Kenma?" Kuroo smirked at his friend, putting his stuff down beside him.

"I've seen her before, but I don't know where." The setter's brows slightly knitted together, showing that he was thinking hard about where.

"Well, I guess so. It's like I've seen her before too." Kuroo rubbed the back of his neck, "Well, don't worry too much about it. It'll come to us."

Kenma gave a hum in response.

* * *

Yukie and Kaori watched as they saw Nekoma sneaking looks at Shiori. They were sure that they weren't going to approach her, because right now, when she's standing by herself and just watching something, she looked like she didn't want to be disturbed.

"There she goes again…and she's only just standing there." Yukie commented with a chuckle. "Her demeanour prevents people from going up to her."

"But she's really nice," Kaori laughed.

"Yeah, only when people start to talk to her they realise she doesn't bite. First few meetings with her are kind of terrifying."

"You too?"

"Yup. She's a good friend of mine now, though."

"That's good to hear."

"Kaori-chan, is it just me or does Akaashi watch her more than usual?" Yukie suddenly pointed out. She saw him take a glance at Shiori, then at Nekoma, before proceeding to whatever warmups he was doing.

Kaori followed her gaze. Then, she saw it after a moment. "Ah. I didn't realise."

"I've noticed it for a while now, actually." Yukie remarked, "Even before she started playing volleyball with us."

"Huh? What do you mean?" The first year manager flickered her gaze to the older teen.

Yukie just smiled, but it faltered when she looked back at Shiori and remembered their conversation a few nights ago.

Her gaze went to her team, seeing them doing things a little more excitedly, because they were going against Nekoma, and also since they'd have someone from the same volleyball field watching them.

Her eyes landed on the three that Shiori was probably closest to on the team apart from Yukie. Her stare drifted over Akaashi.

It was just a little bit, but a seed of worry had planted itself inside Yukie. For her friends, and for her team. But, especially for the setter whom she normally didn't need to worry about.


	16. raison 15

égoïste

raison #15

* * *

"Oh, you've got a really defined body, Kou." Shiori commented, seeing him change in the gym. It was a normal occurrence, since it was just the shirt. The others were changing, too.

She was completely unfazed—she had seen her teammates do that, whether it be girls or boys from her current or previous teams, or those she's trained with. Plus, Arata liked to walk around shirtless and parade around in his underwear. It was almost normal for her.

The owl looked at her with wide eyes, his ears going slightly red as he laughed, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "You really think so?!"

"Yeah. Your abdominals and your back muscles are really strong, so it explains how you're able to hit a powerful spike." After she finished speaking Konoha let out a stiff laugh, covering his mouth, and Bokuto was left just nodding slowly, not really getting what she was saying.

Akaashi stared down at his own muscles; he had wanted to become stronger, but it was a working progress.

"Why are you just watching us change?" Konoha laughed when he put the shirt over his head.

"Well, where else am I going to look? I'd rather look at you guys than stare at the wall." Shiori chuckled, "I'm sorry if it's making you uncomfortable."

Konoha shook his head and looked away. She was completely shameless!

"I get what you mean!" Bokuto hit his fist against his palm, an idea going to his head, "I—"

"Bokuto-san, I think that's completely different." Akaashi interrupted the captain, sighing. He had already changed his top.

"Yeah, I think that's completely different too." Konoha and Shiori sweat dropped.

"She's completely shameless, isn't she?" Kuroo let out a snicker when his eyes went over to the girl. "What a perv," He spoke teasingly.

"I don't want to hear that coming from you." Kenma's words stabbed right through the male.

"You didn't need to say it like that…"

* * *

Shiori stood on the side, beside the two managers. It was about halfway through the game, and neither side was letting up.

She noted that Fukurodani was amazing in game as always, and she mentally applauded each of them for their great play.

 _I've got to hand it to Akaashi for being able to get Bokuto up and going from his emo mode, though. Bokuto's straights were very good, too._

Nekoma, she had to admit, was very good as well. They could adapt to almost any situation, and she swore that Kuroo and Kenma, like the managers said, was scheming something. Choking Bokuto's straights to become crosses and then doing the opposite when Bokuto went into his emo mode and stuffing him? It seemed too well written and absolutely easy for that team to pull off.

For Nekoma to know about Bokuto's emo modes, it would mean that they've known each other for a while.

 _So they're using this against the ace, huh…well, it does make sense. Kou's spikes are hard to block if you aren't Kuroo or the libero…I think his name was Yaku? They did a good job picking those spikes up._

 _And that tall guy…is he half?_ Shiori looked to the tallest member of Nekoma's team. He had silver hair and green eyes; he was very cat like.

 _He's a complete novice, though,_ Shiori had realised this when she first saw him play. Even just by watching his footwork, she knew he hadn't played long. _Is Nekoma trying to get him to become a regular? If he improved that would improve them by leaps and bounds, more so than they are now._

The whistle blew for the end of the second set, which Fukurodani won. They came to the side to grab drinks and towels, preparing themselves for the next sets. They were doing practice matches after all, so for however long they can go for and however long their stamina and endurance pushed, they would play.

"Hey, are you Fukurodani's new manager?" Kuroo came up to Shiori, holding a drink bottle in his hands. He found now the best moment to talk to her, even if it was just a little conversation.

He hated to admit it, but it was unnerving when he did.

Everyone's eyes immediately went to Kuroo and Shiori, wondering why he would approach her.

When Bokuto noticed, he immediately started making his way over. Akaashi sighed and followed after the wing spiker.

"No, I'm not. I'm just watching." Shiori answered, turning to look at the taller individual.

 _Oh wow. He's as tall as Arata,_ was her first thought, then, _what type of hair is this? It's unusual._

"Oya? You're just watching? You wouldn't be here if you—" Kuroo was interrupted by Bokuto, who had thrown his arm around Shiori, grinning ear to ear.

"Kuroo! This was who I was talking about!"

"Yeah, I figured." The dark haired male chuckled. He took a drink from his bottle.

"Kou, you're all sweaty, get off me." Shiori pried his arm off, but didn't move from her spot.

"Sorry about this." Akaashi apologized from the side of her. She glanced at him, before her attention was stolen away by the captain of Nekoma.

"What's your name?" He asked.

"Maebara Shiori. You're…Kuroo?" She raised a brow in question, holding out her hand.

He took it, shaking it with a hearty smile. "Kuroo Tetsurou, captain of Nekoma. Pleased to meet you."

"Likewise." She nodded and let go. "I've heard things about you from the team."

"Oh? What've they said about me?"

"That you're a scheming captain with an evil face." Shiori said it with such a straight face that some people from both teams started laughing.

"That's…" Kuroo shot Bokuto a look, wondering what the hell they've been telling her.

But Bokuto didn't see his glare; he was too busy laughing.

"I can see why they've called you that, now." Shiori continued on. The others started laughing harder. "You're very cunning in game, especially with your setter; Kenma, was it?"

"Oh, you've noticed?" Kuroo didn't know whether to be touched at her words, or if he was really annoyed at the others who were laughing.

"Yeah, I did. You've made blocks that enable spikes easier for Yaku to receive, and you make up a huge part of Nekoma's defence. Your serves are quite good, too." Shiori started, analysing the game play she saw before. Before Kuroo was about to give her his thanks, she continued.

"On the other hand, your new guy, the really tall one, I think his name was Lev? I feel that he'd become really good if he practiced a bit more. His spikes are very…I don't know, whip like? I'm sure you're training him though so I probably shouldn't say anything.

"And your setter, he's kind of like Akaashi but more lethargic, but good nonetheless. Is he the one who thinks up of plans on how to play? I also really like his hair.

"Your ace is really strong, too. He's the blonde Mohawk guy, right? What was it again…Yamamoto? Yeah. Anyway, your whole team is good at their defences except for a selected few.

"I enjoyed watching Nekoma's plays today." Shiori nodded to herself. She had ended up looking to the side and listing what she wanted to say. When she looked up, she saw that Kuroo looked a bit surprised, and the rest of the team, too.

The captain regained his composure after clearing his throat, grinning, "Well, we're happy that you enjoyed watching us."

"I'll be watching you all from now on." She smiled at them.

The Nekoma team's eyes widened at her smile. It was like they became frozen in time; she was so sweet, regardless of her icy aura.

"We'll be looking forward to it, then." Kuroo smoothly spoke.

Akaashi watched as those from the Nekoma team had come up to Shiori and they were all talking, with Bokuto cutting in here and there.

 _She gave them an analysation of their plays,_ Akaashi thought. He spotted Kenma looking over to them, his eyes lingering on Shiori, before he got out his phone to type something in. After a moment, he looked back up to Shiori, then went to continue his game after putting his phone away.

 _Does he know?_ Akaashi questioned. Knowing Kenma, he was someone who caught on quite quickly. It wouldn't be a stretch to think that he, or someone from Nekoma, found her familiar, and realised who she was.

"Maebara, you sound like you've played volleyball before," Kuroo started.

"'Shiori' is fine. And yes, I've played it before."

"Oh! That makes sense; if you aren't Fukurodani's new manager, then you're someone who's played volleyball!" Lev realised, coming up next to Kuroo. He stared down at Shiori, inspecting the smaller girl with curious eyes.

Shiori stared at him with a slightly raised brow, about to tell him off.

"Hey! Stop it, you're making her uncomfortable!" Bokuto and Konoha pushed her behind them, shielding her away from Lev.

"Uh…thanks?" She took a step back.

"Sorry about that, Shiori-san." Akaashi apologized on their behalf.

"It's fine, Keiji." She smiled with a dismissive wave of the hand. "They're just being them."

"Were you on a team?" Yaku asked, popping up next to Lev and kicking him with a smile on his face. What he was doing and his expression was completely different. Lev went to the side, rubbing the sore side of his bottom.

"Ah…you're the libero, Yaku." She nodded towards him in greeting. "Yeah, I was."

Konoha and Bokuto had taken a step to the side to allow for her to talk to them easier, making sure to keep an eye out for anyone who wanted to get closer to her.

Their eyes landed on Yamamoto, whose face and ears was flushed red as he observed the Maebara from behind Kuroo, Yaku and Kai.

 _If he tries to get close to her…!_ The two wing spikers watched them carefully. They couldn't be so sure of this; they just knew that they had to push away any guys who made her uncomfortable or those who tried to get close to her after finding out she's a nice person.

 _They don't really need to do this…_ Akaashi took a drink of water, then wiped his face and neck of sweat with a towel. He put them away.

"Okay, let's continue with the game!" Kai clapped his hands together and they went back to their respective sides of the court.

Shiori sighed a little, taking her place beside he managers.

"You sure told them what you thought," Yukie stifled a laugh.

"Eh…I guess. I didn't mean to say it like that, though. They might think I'm kind of an over analytical side character." Shiori shrugged, "Well, that sucks."

"I'm sure they don't think that," Yukie smiled at her friend. "If anything, they'd respect that you were paying attention to them and know about volleyball."

"…if that's what you say, then okay."

* * *

"Ah, just by her watching I want to play at my best!" Yamamoto cried as his knees hit the ground, "But I don't know how to talk to girls!"

"Yamamoto, shut up."

"But she's the perfect blend of pretty and cute! And she plays volleyball!"

The team ignored the ace, sighing to themselves.

"Playing is an understatement," Kenma spoke up. He was stretching, as they've finished their practice games.

"Oh?" When the setter spoke, everyone turned their attention to him. Normally he didn't speak much when it concerned Yamamoto's squabbling.

"What's this? Is Kenma interested?" Kuroo gave him a cheeky smirk, continuing his teasing from earlier.

Kenma continued to stretch, unfazed. "That's not what I mean." He looked up to the girl, who was talking to the other managers.

"Then what do you mean?" Lev asked.

"She used to play in Nationals. She's the former #1 in serving back in middle school."

The surprised looks on the team were shocked enough. Yaku and Kuroo gasped upon realising that it was indeed true. They had seen the gameplay on TV, and finally remembered.

"Huh? Number 1? That's amazing!" Lev grinned widely.

Yamamoto cried tears of joy; could she get any better than that?

"Wait, what's she doing here then? Isn't she from Miyagi?" Kuroo questioned. "Why's she in Tokyo?"

"She hasn't been playing any big leagues since middle school." Kenma changed stretching positions, "She's only recently been the talk on volleyball forums. Some people recognise her and say that they saw her playing volleyball in Tokyo."

"Eh, is that right?" Kuroo glanced over at the beauty. She was now talking to Akaashi. "Well, no matter."

He was now curious—if she was here, then that would mean that she was still doing stuff related to volleyball. It didn't seem like she was on a team, so maybe she was just observing the male team?

"I wonder if she likes someone on the team," Kuroo smirked, eyes on her. "Or maybe I can go steal her from them." He snickered when he imagined Bokuto's shocked expression.

As if knowing exactly what Kuroo was thinking, Akaashi moved so that he was blocking Shiori from his view, which irked the captain.

 _The pain in the ass Kuroo-san is at it again,_ Akaashi listened in on what Shiori was saying; she was telling him and asking him about how Fukurodani plays.

"I don't think I can do it for that long, to be honest." She sighed and placed a hand on her hip, waving the other one in front of her.

"You're an athlete, but your stamina's bad." The setter stated bluntly.

With a small frown, she nodded, "Yeah, how do you guys even do it? Give me some of your energy reserves, please." She laughed, not at all offended. If it was a fact, she'd graciously accept it unless it was a touchy subject.

Akaashi just watched her laughing, a small smile gracing his lips. Her laugh was almost contagious; she always looked so bright just smiling.

"Hey, hey, hey! What are you talking about?!" Bokuto came up to them from behind Shiori, grinning.

"We were talking about how much you take the food in Shiori-san's house." Akaashi lied through his teeth.

"What?! I don't take _that_ much!"

"I wonder if she'll be interested in going to Nekoma instead…" Kuroo wondered aloud.

"I think she'd make a great manager!" Lev threw his hand up in agreement. "I'd be more motivated to play!"

Kenma shot him a look, internally shouting 'No!' for an overenthusiastic Lev. Otherwise, he didn't care either way.

"I would have a reason to show off our manager! And rub it in Karasuno's face!"

"Don't even think about it." Yukie had come up to them with her normal critter like smile. She took their bibs for washing, all the while still having that smile on her face.

"…what was that?"

* * *

"It was nice meeting you all!" Shiori waved at them as they left. She was met with others waving back, with Yamamoto having a really red face that made her laugh.

"How did you like the practice match?" Akaashi asked, walking in stride with her. They were going back to the gym and packing up.

"It was fun! I was glad I came. I got to see another side of all you guys, different from when you're all just doing normal practice." She beamed at him. "Plus, Akaashi, you were really cool on court! Well, you're already cool on court with your level headedness and demeanour and all, but in practice matches and the like you're even cooler!" She stopped for a moment, her lips forming an 'o' at Akaashi's expression the more she talked.

His eyes were slightly wide and his lips had parted in surprise.

"Ah—did I say something weird again?" Shiori asked with a short laugh.

He shook his head, regaining his composure and averting his eyes. She was so direct, it was quite astounding. But in a good way.

"I'd like to see you play more." She patted his arm and went ahead to talk to Washio and Komi.

Her words were simple, but it was something that resonated with the setter. He couldn't help but let a small smile fall to his lips.

"What do we have here?" Yukie came up next to Akaashi, holding a cheeky smile.

"Shirofuku-san." Akaashi stated upon her appearance. He was a bit weary of that smile she wore. It was like she wanted something.

"Akaashi, I've noticed," She paused, her voice dropping in volume so that the others won't hear, "That you've been watching her for a while now."

The setter just looked at her. His brows had slightly risen upwards and his eyes widened slightly. He knew she knew what she was talking about.

"What makes you think that?" He decided to play around a little.

"Well, I just notice things, that's all." She sung with a smile.

Akaashi raised a brow.

The smile softened, "She's a good person."

He nodded in agreeance.

"That's why, please take care of her."

Akaashi blinked a few times at the manager, wondering where that came from. It was like she was sending off her daughter for marriage or something.

"Ah, sorry, Shiori told me you were helping her with spiking practice and other stuff." Yukie laughed nervously, waving her hands around. "So I just assumed—"

"You might be right," Akaashi found it a little strange that he was talking to Yukie about this, right behind the current topic at hand, but he didn't want to lie to her. "But I'm still unsure."

Yukie's eyes widened as her hands went to her sides. She pressed her lips into an upwards curl, "I'm sure you'll find out soon whether or not you are."

Akaashi nodded, heeding his senpai's words.

"I hope so."

Yukie went ahead to talk to Kaori, hiding her faltering smile.

She felt sorry for him; she really did. Not only did Akaashi had an inkling of feeling towards Shiori, but Shiori had none towards him. Or, at least she thought so anyway.

She wished it would end up as a happily ever after, but with Shiori in the mix, it just didn't seem possible. She was a free, independent individual who was in her own world, and she wasn't the type to fall for anyone quickly, or anyone at all for that matter if things allowed so.

That was what saddened Yukie; she wanted the best for her friends, but if it was unrequited and completely one sided, she was sure that one side, which was definitely not Shiori's side, would be devastated.

If anything, Akaashi chose someone who wouldn't like him back.

* * *

"What's this?" Shiori took out a piece of paper from her pocket. It was a list of numbers and the names next to them. She recognised them as people from the Nekoma volleyball team.

"When did they get this into my pocket?" She raised an eyebrow, trying to recall how it ended up there.

"Maybe Kuroo put it there." Akaashi commented, taking a glance at the list of numbers. It had everyone on the team. It slightly irritated him that Kuroo would make a move so soon. But, he didn't know whether it was because he wanted to keep in contact for volleyball or something else.

"I don't really know them, but I'll keep this just in case something pops up." She put it back into her pocket and whistled a tune as they walked home.

"You know, Keiji," Shiori started.

"Yeah?"

"I hope I pass my quizzes." She let out a strained chuckle at the end of her sentence.

Akaashi nodded. "You'll pass." This was just one of the many random things that she would talk about.

"Keiji!" She wiped a fake tear from her eyes, "You have way too high of an expectation of me!"

"No, it's because you studied a lot for it." Akaashi rationalised.

Shiori looked at him for a moment, then tittered, "Yeah. I guess so. But that doesn't give me the scores I need to pass, right? It depends on how I do on the actual thing itself. If I can pass this then the end of term exams won't be too bad." She clapped her hands together when she remembered something.

"Ah! That's right! I'll be going to Miyagi in the summer break." Shiori announced. "So I won't be here to hang out with anybody."

"How long are you going for?" The setter asked. He wasn't surprised she was going back to Miyagi; her mother was there.

"2 weeks. I'll be back halfway through the break. So like, I'm leaving in the first week." Shiori grinned when she spoke about her upcoming plans. "I've organised some stuff to do there, so I won't be too bored. I'm going to meet with my childhood friends, and I'm in the middle of doing plans for some volleyball related stuffs."

"Volleyball related stuff?"

"Yup. You know how I said my mum's a science teacher, right? She's a teacher at Shiratorizawa."

"Oh. The powerhouse school?"

"Yup! I've asked her to try and secure me a little time frame during their training camp. She's in the middle of that, so I really hope she can give me a good response."

"Are you going to help out with Shiratorizawa's team?" Akaashi's eyes had widened a little. He was half surprised half not surprised that she had connections such as these.

"I'm hoping to. At the very least, I can see what kind of teams there are. Though, I'd like to go check out Niiyama Joshi as well. They've got an amazing team." She mused. She sent a grin his way, "Well, the only reason I'm doing this is because of you, anyway. I'd like to say thanks for pushing me to doing something like this."

"I didn't do anything, though." The setter was confused.

"Yes you did. You're the one who started something like this; if you didn't give me that little push with your unorthodox ways of getting me to play volleyball in Fukurodani, none of this would have happened." Shiori chuckled. "So, thank you."

Akaashi's chest felt warm at her thanks. His eyes lingered on her for a moment before he tore them away, looking at the ground in front of him.

"Speaking of Shiratorizawa, Arata used to go there. That's the powerhouse school I meant." Shiori revealed.

"That makes sense now." Akaashi nodded slowly. He had another question in mind, "I've been meaning to ask, but why did you choose to attend Fukurodani? Did you know it was a powerhouse school as well?"

Shiori laughed gently, "The reason's a little dumb, actually. I live close by, so I just kind of went with the closest school." She added, "I was offered sports scholarships for Niiyama and Shiratorizawa, but I declined. Well, you know the reason why, so yeah."

"I guess that's a reason to choose this school, too." Akaashi remarked, "Those are both amazing schools."

"I know. But I don't regret declining them. If I didn't, I wouldn't have met all of you guys here at Fukurodani. And I'm really happy about that." She was getting a little sentimental, so she shook her head and plastered a smile on her face.

"I wouldn't exchange any of that. Plus, I got to eat your cooking so that was good. If I went to Niiyama or Shiratorizawa that wouldn't have happened." She nudged him in the arm, "Cook for me again one day!"

Akaashi smiled small. He knew she truly meant those words, so it made him happy.

 _I don't regret meeting you either._

He let out a light sigh, "Okay."

She cheered and clapped her hands.

"You're the best, Keiji!"


	17. raison 16

égoïste

raison #16

* * *

"You think you'll pass?" Bokuto eyed Shiori from his desk, his hands clenched into fists as he awaited the teacher.

Shiori, with an equally bothered look, exhaled slowly. "I damn hope so, Kou."

"I think you two should be fine." Yukie poked Bokuto and Shiori with her ruler.

In truth, as much as Shiori wanted to focus on her quiz results, she found herself thinking about the straights that Bokuto showed the day before during the practice match. They were incredibly straight and powerful, and it was so much better watching it live than on screen or being told about it.

She wondered if she could do anything like that and be so happy about a successful one afterwards. Bokuto was always smiling when he did them, and it did somewhat make her feel a touch jealousy that he was. He was always improving—always.

"Bokuto!" The teacher called. Kou stood up from his seat and took the results from her, taking a look at it. His expression immediately brightened up.

 _Oh, he passed._

"Maebara!" Shiori went up to the teacher and got her results, taking a peek at them. She nodded to herself when she was marked 50 to 60 for her bad subjects. She passed.

The bell rung for lunch. Students filed out, including the three of them. They had agreed to go outside to eat because it was such a nice day.

Bringing their food outside, they passed by Konoha's classroom to fetch him. He had a huge grin on his face when he came out, "I passed! How'd you guys go?"

Bokuto and Shiori gave him a grin and a thumbs up, and they all high fived each other before going to their usual outside spot.

"Hm? Where's Akaashi?" Shiori questioned. He was late. They had already finished up their lunches, and normally he would have already been there with them.

"I don't know, maybe he's on duty?" Konoha suggested. "I didn't see him today so I'm not sure."

"Is he sick?" She raised a brow, finding it almost impossible for the setter to be. But, it was entirely possible as well. "Well, I'm going to check up on him, then. I also need to give the forms back for archery and the club manager's in 2nd year, so I'll be back soon." She added, "Yukie, you can finish my lunch!"

"Okay!" Yukie smiled and waved as Shiori went off to the classroom. Yukie had in fact seen Akaashi that day, but she wasn't going to say anything about it.

 _Well, he'll be happy if she comes to check up on him,_ was her thought when she smiled. She quickly took her favourite parts from Shiori's lunch, sharing it with Bokuto and Konoha.

* * *

"Yup, here's the form." Shiori handed the paper to the archery club's manager, smiling. The club manager blushed at the appearance of the third year, taking the paper with a grin.

"Thank you! You didn't need to come all the way, Shiori-san."

"It's fine. I had a few things to do here." The volleyball player gave her a wave as she exited her classroom, "I'll see you tomorrow!"

"See you tomorrow!"

The Maebara exited the 2nd year classroom and stood outside for a moment, trying to remember which class Akaashi was in. She remembered, and then proceeded to go down the hall, ignoring the stares and whispers that were going around when she passed.

She peeked her head into Class 2-6's room, scanning to find Akaashi.

 _Hm? He's not here…_ she raised a brow. The students inside were all looking at her, so she wondered if she looked weird doing what she was doing.

"Shiori-san? What are you doing here?"

"Keiji!" She let out a surprised yelp when she heard his voice. She turned to find him standing there with some books in his hands. "Eh, what are all those books for?"

"They're for the next class. I was put on duty to collect these from the library." The setter made his way to the classroom, placing them on the front desk. He turned to her, wondering why she was in the 2nd year area.

Knowing that she didn't answer his question before, she elaborated, "I didn't see you all day so I thought you were sick, so I went to check up on you. I also had to give in the permission forms to the club manager from the archery club."

"I'm fine, Shiori-san." He was pleased she had come all the way to check up on him, even though they saw each other the night before.

"That's good to hear!" She beamed, "It would suck to have you sick." She patted him on the shoulder and went towards the door, "Anyway, I'm going back to where the others are. You coming?"

"Yeah," He had finished his duties and was now free. He hadn't eaten his lunch yet, so he brought that along as he walked with the cheerful third year.

As he did, he could almost feel the envious stares from boys and girls alike.

Needless to say, for the final period of the day, whenever there was a little window of a break, he would be bombarded with questions from people about the beautiful third year that had come to check up on him.

* * *

During lunch after Shiori had left to go to the 2nd year building, the other third years had finished her lunch and were now betting random items in relation to what they thought the reactions of the people in the 2nd year building was.

"I bet they would all be watching her," Yukie put forward Shiori's empty bento.

"I bet they'd be staring." Bokuto put forward one chopstick that belonged to Shiori.

"That's the same thing, Bokuto." Konoha deadpanned. He put forward the other chopstick, "I bet they'd be interrogating Akaashi about who she is, or how he knows her."

They were silent for a moment.

"How will we find out who won?" Bokuto asked, raising a brow.

"Well, Shiori's out of the question, she doesn't really take notice of these things. Or, she notices them but doesn't care." Yukie shrugged, "Best bet is Akaashi. Especially because Konoha's bet is related to him."

"Why am I involved in your bets?" Akaashi, holding his bento, sat down beside Yukie.

"Shiori's gone to the 2nd year building, right? What did people do when they saw her?! Did they stare and interrogate you?" Bokuto seemed a little overenthusiastic about it.

Akaashi was eating his lunch, but he didn't really reply until he was finished with some rice. "They did stare but they didn't ask me anything. It looked like they wanted to, though."

"That means all of us won." Yukie let out a laugh. She turned to the setter, "Speaking of which, where is Shiori? She's not with you?"

"She got called to the teacher's office because they saw her multiple piercings."

"She's still getting called?! I thought they gave up!" Konoha snickered.

"That was a lie." Akaashi nonchalantly continued eating. "She was called in for career counselling."

"Oh," The three third years nodded slowly, realising there really was such a thing. They turned to each other, dismissing that Akaashi had told a white lie.

"Reminds me we have to do that too." Konoha sighed.

"I guess so." Yukie leaned back on the ground.

"Shiori said something about her wanting to be a designer of some sort." Konoha let out a light 'ah' when he remembered.

"A designer?" Yukie gave it some thought and nodded, "She does like designing things."

"I asked her a while ago—she said she wanted to go help her brother and stuff, as well as her own projects. She said she could learn about a lot of things, and it would enable her to travel the world."

"I'd thought for sure she'd want to do something volleyball based." Bokuto raised a brow, tearing a portion of his 3rd roll of yakisoba bread off.

When he got only murmurs of 'yeah…' from the others, he shrugged.

Akaashi finished off his food and wondered to himself about her future plans. He didn't know she wanted to be a designer and do all kinds of stuff like that. They never got around to talking about it.

 _She said that she wanted to go back onto the national stage. Does she mean while she's at university and studying design? Now that I think about it, that's a little vague._

"Ah!" Yukie remembered, "You just reminded me; Shiori's going to come watch our matches for the Inter High! Well, when we get to Nationals, anyway. Ah, I think she might have mentioned that before, actually…"

"Really?!" The wing spiker owls exclaimed. He probably forgot?

"Yup!"

"Isn't she skipping school for this?" Akaashi wondered. Sure, he was happy that she was willing to watch them, but if she was going to skip for that, then maybe not.

"She said it was okay." Yukie lifted her hands and waved them like window wipers, "She said she'd do all the work beforehand to go support us. She really wanted to come; said something about wanting to see Bokuto go against that school that kept stuffing him; see him beat them."

"She said that?! Really?!" Bokuto rubbed his nose and crossed his arms, grinning ear to ear. He was honestly so happy to hear that.

Akaashi stayed silent. _Of course she'd want to see that._

He diverted the conversation, casually mentioning, "Shiori-san will be going to Miyagi during the break."

"Oh! Is she?" Konoha questioned.

The setter nodded. "She's visiting her mother."

"Oh yeah, she did mention that…urgh, she'd be having fun while we're stuck on that training camp."

Akaashi didn't mention that she'd probably be going to Shiratorizawa for their training camp. It wasn't set in stone yet, so he didn't say anything. After all, they would probably ask her themselves, and she'd say something in relation to it.

"Should we get her to come to the later one?" Yukie spoke up suddenly.

"Huh?" The three looked to the manager.

"I mean, she's a volleyball player, right? Wouldn't she want to see how the current competition is?" She elaborated.

"But she's not playing against guys." Bokuto tilted his head, confused.

"No, no, I mean if she wanted to see if there was anything interesting. Like remember back with the Nekoma match, she was watching closely? She was really into it." Yukie grinned.

"Ah, I guess that's true…" Konoha thought back, "She looked kinda scary when watching us, though. I don't know if the other teams would allow that, or the teachers."

"Well, coach and our teacher know that she comes in to help, right? So it should be fine for her. Plus, she might want to take a look at Ubugawa especially." Yukie tittered.

"Ah, they specialise in serves, so you're saying Shiori-san would want to watch?" Akaashi asked.

The auburn haired girl nodded lazily, "That's right. She's a volleyball idiot, after all."

"That's one way to put it." Akaashi let out a gentle sigh.

It was absolutely true. She really was a volleyball idiot.

* * *

"Hm? You're staying to watch?" The black haired female tilted her head just slightly at the setter.

They were now walking home, but Shiori had another game with her team, dubbed: Pillows, and it was the semi-finals. Her game started at 7, and it was currently 6.30pm.

Akaashi nodded.

"You sure have a lot of free time on your hands for someone in the advanced class." Shiori commented with a sigh. "Have you even been sleeping properly? And have you done your work?"

He nodded again, "Yes, I've finished them. Don't worry, it's fine." Well, he told a little white lie there. Maybe about 80% done.

It wasn't that he didn't want her to worry about him—it was warming—but he just wanted to see if her spiking improved. Of course, he wasn't thinking that it _didn't_ improve, but he wanted to see if it was just with him setting, or if it applied to other setters as well. There were other factors involved but that was the main gist of it.

Shiori didn't exactly look convinced. She raised a brow at him, staring at him intently as if to search his soul. In the end she looked away with an exhale, "Well, if you're so sure, then go ahead."

"I will."

"Geez, you love volleyball too much." Shiori laughed lightly and they turned the street, going to her house. Of course, they were going to eat before going. Just snacks, though. They'd have a full dinner afterwards.

"You brought home Akaashi-kun again." Arata opened the door and that was the first thing he said. "Nice seeing you again." He smiled.

Shiori went past her brother and took off her shoes, heading straight to the kitchen. "Come on, let's eat some here and go."

"Coming," The setter greeted the older Maebara with a nod and light greeting, took his shoes off and went inside, following after the younger.

Arata followed them after closing the door, leaning on the counter. "So, I take it you're going to watch her match today?" He assumed.

"Yeah."

"Have fun," He smiled. "When they're finished, you can come over to eat. It's on us."

Akaashi was about to say something, but Shiori cut him to it.

"Don't worry about it, Keiji-kun. It's fine. You're always walking me back home, so this is the least I could do." She grinned at him, taking out a plate full of different flavoured onigiri. She unwrapped it, pushing it towards him, "Have some!"

He took one, saying a thanks, before eating. Shiori took one and started taking quick and big bites. She didn't eat as fast as she could, or else she'd end up choking. That happened many times in her lifetime, and each time, she swore she wouldn't do it again but it just never really went through her head. It was only recently that she realised that she shouldn't eat too fast. Last time she accidently threw up on Arata because she choked the wrong way.

Arata took one and had a small bite, eating it with a smile. He spoke to the setter, "Say, doesn't your parents get worried that you're always out so late?" It was a genuine question. Normally students would come back home around 6 to 6.30pm, but for him, it seemed as if he'd been going back later than that time.

"They're fine with it, so it's not a big problem." Keiji responded. "I tell them if I plan to come home later."

"Ah, that makes sense, then." Arata took another bite from the food.

A cup was then placed in front of him and Akaashi; Shiori had filled them up with water while they were having a little chat.

"Thanks, loser." Arata took it and gave a smile to his sister.

"Thank you." Akaashi finished off his onigiri and took a sip of water before taking another piece of rice ball.

"We have like 15 minutes," Shiori looked up at the clock. She took big bites out of her (now) 4th onigiri, "Gotta eat fast and scram."

"Don't eat too fast. I don't want you throwing up on me again." Arata was incredibly serious, but that only made Shiori laugh lightly.

She finished off her onigiri before talking. "I'm all good."

"That's great. Anyway, I'll leave dinner for you guys." Arata stood up after taking another onigiri.

The younger Maebara took one more and rushed off to her room, changing into something comfortable and changing bags. When she came out again, Akaashi was ready to go, and Arata was talking to him.

"I'm all ready to go, so!" Shiori patted Arata's arm and waved her hand right in front of his face, "See ya!" And she left with Akaashi in tow.

* * *

Akaashi's eyes could only widen when he saw the winning play. His parted lips then became a smile as he watched the winning team celebrate.

"WE WON!" Shiori high fived each of her team members, congratulating them on the incredible play.

They were breathless and panting, but they were grinning wide.

Shiori was smiling, but although she was the one who had won the winning point, she didn't have the 'winning smile'. It was strange, per say. Akaashi had witnessed her do a good spike too, reminiscent of the successful ones when they were practicing.

 _It's not entirely the same as when we were practicing, but it got close,_ the setter thought. His eyes trailed to the other people of the team. They were certainly livelier about the win than she was, though they wouldn't know the difference between Shiori's smiles and optimistic behaviour to know that she wasn't 100% happy about it.

 _That's probably because she's more worried about her own plays,_ Akaashi surmised, _she's happy about her team winning but she won't be so invested in it if she herself doesn't play at her best._

Akaashi let out a light 'ah', in realisation.

 _Is that why she wants 'that feeling', again? Because she doesn't have to play at her absolute best to score a point? Does she want a challenge?_ He pondered; it was definitely a possibility.

The vice-captain snapped out of his thoughts when Shiori waved at him, giving him two victory signs and a grin. The smile on his lips stayed even though she couldn't properly see it (she thinks she's imagining it because he doesn't really smile—it was also kind of far away, too), and he matched her, holding up one victory sign in front of him.

Her grin seemed to grow wider when he did, and then she went off to congratulate the other team and do cooldown stretches.

Once she was done, Akaashi headed down to wait for her in the lobby, hands shoved in pockets as he watched the umpire draw on the match sheet on the board.

"We've advanced to round 4!" Shiori popped up next to the male, tip toeing to have a look over the umpire's shoulder.

"Ah, good game, Maebara-kun!" The umpire smiled towards her and left after saying goodnight. Shiori bid him bye.

"We've got one more team to beat until we're going to the grand finals!" Her eyes shone excitedly, but rather for the end where if they won, they'd get lots of freebies.

"You only want the free stuff," The setter deadpanned.

"Hey! Don't make it sound like it's a bad thing!" She put her hands on her hips and faced the setter, then wagged her index finger in front of her, "Getting freebies isn't bad if the other side is willing to give it to you!"

"That's because they organised it, Shiori-san."

"But all in all, freebies isn't bad."

"Yeah, they're not. Come on, let's get going." The setter placed a hand on the back of her shoulder, gently pushing her along.

"Hm? You hungry? You're not normally in a rush!" She looked over her shoulder with a smile, allowing him to push her along.

"I am," He went next to her.

They walked in silence for a while. It wasn't awkward in any way; it was a comfortable silence.

"Thanks for coming today." Shiori finally broke the silence, turning to him with a gentle curl of the lips.

"…it's fine." The 2nd year managed to say, a little surprised.

"No, really. Thank you." Her tone was serious, yet it still held that optimism and playfulness. "I never really had friends watching me play outside of school. Normally Arata comes because my parents can't make it, but he hasn't been able to since he finished uni. So…uh, yeah," She averted her eyes, feeling herself become embarrassed. "Uh, so, um…thank you for always coming by to watch, and for waiting and all."

Akaashi observed her as her cheeks started to tinge with pink. She was looking away from him, quite obviously flustered at saying something she wasn't used to.

 _Cute,_ was the thought that crossed his mind. She had just indirectly told him that she was happy he was there to watch and support her.

He ended up smiling, looking ahead. "That's no problem. I could say the same to you, thanks for looking out for me."

"Ah," She recalled the day's events, then shook her head, "No, no, it's a senior's duty to look after their juniors."

Akaashi felt a twinge of irritation when she generalised him with other juniors. Of course she wasn't wrong, but it still did annoy him.

"But," She started, "You're my favourite kouhai." She grinned, leaning in front and angling her torso so she was looking at him, then pulled back after seeing his expression. She chuckled, patting him on the back.

His expression didn't change, however, his thought process took a turn and started doing somersaults.

 _He_ was her favourite kouhai? What? Really?

"Well, I didn't expect you to react to that." She shrugged. She didn't see any change in his expression from before, so she assumed that he didn't really care too much, grouping it with her usual antics. "But it's quite true, really! I do have a few other juniors I'm on good terms with, like Tsu-chan and Tobio-chan, but I haven't heard from them in a while. Ah, yeah, and Kaori-chan and Onaga-kun, too." As she listed the names, she counted on her fingers. "But even among them, I hang out with you the most out of all, so it's a given."

"…then, if I was just a kouhai that you interacted with on an occasional basis…" He trailed off, hoping she got the hint.

"Hm…that's a hard one. If I didn't hang out with you much, I wouldn't know how fun it'd be. Truth be told, if I saw you around but we didn't hang out, I don't think I would have paid much attention, but I would know you."

"Geh." He turned away so that she wouldn't hear him.

"Hm? What is it?"

 _Why do I feel irritated…_ he let out a soft sigh. It was a given that she wouldn't pay attention to him if they weren't even hanging out or had similar interests. It was an obvious thing, but she said it so easily that it was irritating.

She hummed, continuing. "But even if I wouldn't have known you well, I might have been interested in knowing you more." She put a closed fist to her chin, thinking. "I would have known you in the volleyball scene, considering you're the school's setter. People normally talk about these sorts of things, and I would've seen you playing, too, if I went to check out the team. Also, I would've seen you hanging out with Bokuto and the others, so naturally, I would have started to know you more too."

 _Ah, so that's what she meant,_ Akaashi realised. She wasn't trying to be mean, she was just stating the facts out in what if scenarios.

"So, to answer that question that wasn't really a question," She clapped her hands together, "You will still be my favourite kouhai!"

Akaashi then let out a gentle chuckle. He had felt irritated for nothing. To know that he was one of the people she liked most, was a good thing.

Shiori didn't question him, but just smiled as they continued to her house.

Seeing him happy, made her happy too. It was moments like these that were her favourite; when the normally expressionless vice-captain would show just a bit of emotion, just enough, for her to know what he was feeling.

Yes, these were her favourite.

She wouldn't change it for the world.


	18. raison 17

égoïste

raison #17

* * *

 _That third round was good. That spike felt good. It scored a point. It scored a winning point, and we won the game. But, although I'm happy, why don't I feel satisfied?_ Shiori creased her brows when she stared at the ceiling of her bedroom. It had been a few hours since Pillows had won the 3rd round, and she was just resting.

 _Was it not good enough?_ She closed her eyes, imagining the ball hitting her hand and slamming down onto the ground; the sound that would echo in the stadium when she did and the exhilaration she would get from hitting it and scoring.

 _Why isn't this working? The sets are good, both Michiko (Pillows' team setter) and Keiji are able to sync up with me—so, it is just me? Or maybe that feeling has escaped me? Does it hate me or something?_

She opened her eyes again and sat up, looking out the window. Normally on nights that she didn't want to sleep yet and just lay there, her blinds wouldn't be closed, so it'd let the street lights and moonlight shine in. She stared outside, watching the cat that prowled through the alleyway, only to come to a stop and sit down, wrapping a tail around its body as it sat there, watching.

 _Well, it's not exactly to say that it isn't progress, because it is, but is it too slow? What's stopping me? Is there some kind of barrier?_ The Maebara exhaled with a light huff, going to her phone.

She had a message.

 **Keiji: Please give my thanks to Arata-san for the food. It was delicious.**

Shiori smiled. He had already thanked Arata well and truly enough. But, he still wanted to thank him again.

 _He must have really liked the food,_ she thought.

"Hm?" She saw another message after that one. It was also from Keiji, but sent after.

 **Keiji: I've got the match on video. Do you want to have a copy?**

She typed a fast response. She didn't expect him to have filmed it since when she looked up at him, he wasn't holding his phone at all.

 **Shiori: Yes~! Thanks, Keiji-kun!**

Not even a short while later did she get a reply.

 **Keiji: I'll give it via usb.**

As she typed a response, another message popped on her screen.

 **Keiji: You played well today.**

It was just a sentence, but it made her happy.

 **Shiori: Thanks! But, it's late, so go to sleep!**

* * *

Akaashi stared at his phone. It was indeed late, but he had to catch up on studying and finishing off a few things. He sighed, putting his phone face down to concentrate on his work.

But, his phone made a light sound to signal he had another message.

 **Shiori-san: Knowing you, you're probably studying so, don't sleep too late, okay? You need to take care of your health too. Anyway, goodnight! :D**

The setter read through the question a couple of times more, before replying.

 **Akaashi: I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight.**

He let a light smile dance on his lips as he completed his work.

* * *

"Ah, yeah, I did say that." Shiori spoke to her mum when she called. It was currently lunch break in both Miyagi and Tokyo, so her mother wasn't teaching nor was Shiori in class.

The team was outside again this time because the weather was getting warmer. Washio and Komi joined in on their group lunch. Shiori had gotten a phone call from her mum, so she went to a secluded tree metres away from them to take it.

" **But what about what you said to me before?"**

"That's only a possibility. It's not 100% certain. Plus, I can be a designer on and off until I'm 100% one." Shiori responded, staring at the sky between the leaves of the tree.

" **Do you plan on joining any big teams?"**

"Depends on the uni. I'll join them."

"… **Shiori, I've noticed, you've changed your outlook on this. I'm happy for you."**

"It's…only because of a certain someone that I'm able to call you and tell you what I wanted to do." Shiori confessed. She looked over to the table where her friends were eating at, gaze hovering on Akaashi. She looked away to stare at a tree.

" **My, I see. I'd like to meet them and thank them."**

"Only if you ever come down here."

" **I will, in the future."**

"Okay. Mum, is that all you wanted to ask me?"

" **Yes, dear."**

"I'll talk to you—"

" **Oh! I almost forgot, Tsu-chan wanted to know when you were coming back! He came by a couple of days ago to collect some dango I had made too much of. Do you know how excited he was when I told him? He'll have a fright when you appear at the training camp!"**

"Huh…wait, what? Mum! Did it get approved?! The request?"

" **Ah, sorry for not mentioning it, but yes, it did get through. You've got to thank Washijou-sensei for that. He thought it'd be good to experience something different like this, though it did take a little bit of convincing. He only said yes when he saw your old videos again."**

"Ah…" Shiori thought about what she'd heard about Shiratorizawa's demon coach. She wondered how her mother was even able to get him to say yes. Considering his mentality, she thought he'd say no. Shockingly though, no, he didn't.

"This is so weird." She managed to finally say.

" **It's wonderful! You get to play with great volleyball players, and Tooru-chan's arch enemy!"**

"He's Iwa-chan's arch enemy too."

" **Oh yes, that's true. They sure hate Ushijima-chan with a passion, don't they?"**

"Yeah, they kind of do. But as much as Tooru hates Ushi, apparently Ushi's not the most annoying on the team, but this other guy called Tendou, according to Iwa-chan. Anyway, what are the details?"

" **On the 4** **th** **day of training camp, you'll go in for the morning training. They want you to serve."**

Shiori paused for a moment. She was going to serve at a powerhouse school. She doubted she'd feel any different. It'd just be similar to now, but with a different school.

"Sounds good." She added after a moment, "I'll get to see the coconut and farmer again."

 _And MiracleBoy, if he happens to be at the camp._

" **Oh, speaking of which, Tsu-chan is on the team! In Shiratorizawa's team! He's the only first year in the regular line-up. I keep forgetting to tell you when you call."**

"Eh?!" Shiori exclaimed loudly with wide eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it, trying to find words to say.

Tsu-chan was on the team? On _Shiratorizawa's_ team?!

"Is he really?! That's amazing! He's only a first year, too!"

" **Yes, he is! And he's grown so much taller than you now!"**

"What…that's so…wow." She couldn't help but laugh breathlessly, surprised.

Tsu-chan was a family friend that was 2 years younger than her; she had taught him how to play volleyball when they first met when they had nothing to do, and it just stuck from there. Whenever they saw each other, the boy would always go to Shiori and ask her to help him out, or to play with him, or teach him something new. He adored her, and she did him.

So, it was a shock to hear that he was accepted into a powerful school, much less into their regular line-up.

" **Ah, I have to go now. There's something I have to do. I'll talk to you later, okay?"**

"Okay. Bye, mum. Stay safe."

" **I will! Bye!"** And she hung up.

Shiori slipped the phone into her pocket and headed back to where her friends were.

"What happened? You looked shocked." Yukie commented, stealing some food from Shiori's half eaten bento.

Shiori sat down beside her, "Nah, I just found out something really surprising."

"Hm, really." The manager took another.

Shiori complained, trying to stop the manager taking her food, "Hey! I've barely had any!"

"It's your fault for leaving it out in the open!"

* * *

"Say, Shiori, who are you texting? You've been on your phone the whole time." Bokuto turned to Shiori just after English class. Even though she was, she had made good notes that were easy to understand. Akaashi had returned it earlier.

"Hm, oh, I'm texting Kuroo." Shiori replied.

"Eh? Kuroo?" Bokuto made a face, packing up his stuff as his brows started to crease.

"Yup."

He looked at her, confused. "Why would you text him?"

"Hm? Well, he texted me first, so…" She packed up her stuff, "Did you give him my number or something? I didn't text any of them when they gave me their numbers."

Bokuto raised a brow, shaking his head. He definitely didn't give him her number.

"Are you sure…?" She squinted her eyes slightly at him. "You sure he didn't take your phone from the club room and take a look?"

Bokuto tilted his head, "But the club room's locked. He can't get in."

"Ah." Yukie suddenly spoke up with a gasp. "Kuroo came by and asked me for your number."

"What?" The girl and the owl looked at her with wide eyes.

"He said that he wanted to tell you about something volleyball related, so I gave it to him because he didn't seem to be lying." Yukie explained.

Bokuto was silent for a moment. His normally large eyes narrowed as he pressed his lips together in a brooding manner.

 _That Kuroo…_

"Well, he did talk to me about volleyball related stuff, though." Shiori nodded curtly. "He was updating me on tryouts for the under 19 teams around this area, or around near unis, and on charity games and so on."

"Oh?" The ace was surprised Kuroo did just that.

"Ah, so he really did." Yukie's lips formed an 'o'.

"Yeah. Surprisingly enough. What a nice guy." The Maebara grinned. "Anyway, let's get to training. I don't have archery club today, so I'm free."

* * *

Akaashi stared at the captain of Nekoma's team. He was standing outside, seemingly waiting for someone.

"Kuroo-san, why are you here?"

"Ah, I'm waiting for Shiori." Kuroo observed Akaashi's reaction. He was just teasing, but he was sure that Akaashi had a soft spot for the female, judging from how they interacted at the practice games.

Akaashi blinked once, just staring at him. He was 100% sure that Shiori didn't text any of them at Nekoma, and he was sure that they weren't on a friendly basis yet.

"Is she inside?" Kuroo asked, taking a few steps forward.

Akaashi nodded. "She'll be out soon."

"Oh, Kuroo. Why are you here?" As if on cue, said girl popped up beside Akaashi. "What do you want now?"

"I wanted to see you," The bedhead captain smoothly said, hand over his chest.

Akaashi's brows knitted together. Was Kuroo hitting on her? He glanced at Shiori when he noticed that she didn't make a sound.

"Why would you want to see me? I don't have anything to talk to you about." She was so blunt that it stabbed right through the captain's heart.

"That's harsh…" Kuroo let out a strained chuckle.

Akaashi turned away to hide his smirk.

"So, why are you here?" Shiori asked. "Oh, and thanks for the updates on charity games and such. I'll keep those in mind."

"Well…I'm supposed to hang out with Bokuto today." Kuroo confessed with a light laugh. "We're going to eat at the new yakiniku place."

"Oh, that makes sense. I do remember Kou talking about that during lunch. He was really excited." Shiori hit her fist against her palm.

 _Ah, so he isn't,_ Akaashi realised.

"Sorry for just taking your number off your friend." Kuroo was within arms distance with them now. "I haven't shared it with the others, so don't worry."

"I don't even know what to talk to you guys about, except volleyball." Shiori sweat dropped.

"Bokuto said you played games and stuff. Kenma does that too, so if you guys played the same game, you can talk about it. Plus, I think the others would be happy talking to you about anything." Kuroo grinned.

"Yeah, _anything_ makes it hard. That's too broad."

"Well—"

"KUROO! LET'S GO! YAKINIKU! NOW! I'M HUNGRY!" Bokuto's loud voice sounded around the gym when he saw Kuroo. He raced towards them and grabbed Kuroo by the arm, dragging him away quickly to the club room so that he could get his stuff to go.

"Ah, they left." Akaashi stated.

"Huh, okay." Shiori watched them disappear out of her sight, before looking back at the gym to see if there was anything that needed to be packed up. There was none. "Should we leave, too?"

"Yeah." The setter bid bye to the others and the pair went to the club room.

* * *

 _To be honest I think she's right,_ Kuroo thought for a moment. He was walking home now with Bokuto in tow, after a large meal. He didn't feel like taking the train.

 _Initially, I wanted to talk to her about playing volleyball together…but she's kind of scary,_ Kuroo wanted to laugh a little; she was brutal.

"Ah, I'm stuffed!" Bokuto rubbed his stomach, licking his lips. He had a great time. The place had delicious food too.

"Maybe we should go another time?" Nekoma's captain suggested.

"Definitely!"

It was silent for a moment, then the former spoke up, "Is Shiori always like this?"

"Hm? What do you mean?" The question caught him off.

"I mean, is she always this blunt and...harsh?" Kuroo questioned, trying to find the right words.

"Yeah. Ah, nah, not all the time. She doesn't mean too much by it, I think." Bokuto crossed his arms, thinking mode on, "Well, I think she means it but she doesn't really make it sound too nice. She says it like it is."

"Ah…it's kind of intimidating." Kuroo admitted.

"Oh?!" Bokuto let out a gasp. "Am I hearing right?! _The_ Kuroo is scared of a girl?!"

"No I'm not!" He hit the ace's back, "I'm just saying that she's completely different from any other girl I've ever met! She's so blunt and shameless that it's weird! I'm not used to it!"

"What?! But she's so cool!" Bokuto defended. "That's what makes her who she is! Plus! She can be really cute at times!"

"Oya?" Kuroo stopped his little rant, "At times?"

"Yeah!" Bokuto grinned.

"Y-yeah…" Kuroo nodded stiffly. He didn't know Bokuto thought that highly of her. But he had piqued his interest. She had a cute side? He definitely wanted to see that. Aside from that bluntness of hers, he wanted to see what kind of other emotions and personality traits she had.

He then sweated, _shit, I don't even know how to initiate a conversation with her without getting shut down fast._

"Ah!" Bokuto suddenly gasped. "My wallet! I think I forgot it at the restaurant!"

Kuroo looked at him with a bewildered look, "Let's hurry before they close!"

And so, they ran.

But, the wallet wasn't in the restaurant.

It was in Bokuto's front bag pocket.

" _You idiot!" Kuroo hit Bokuto over the head. "Check your bag before making us run!"_

* * *

The week passed quickly. Shiori had to pack everything into her schedule, including the occasional spiking practice with Akaashi, the archery club help for Inter High, studying and the 4th and 5th rounds for Pillows.

"I'm beat." Shiori was laying on the floor, holding a stretch. She breathed slowly, controlling it to make the best for her stretch.

She had just finished the 4th round. Pillows had won that round by a 6 point margin both sets, but it was a harder game than the others she'd played. It may be because she's jumping as high as she could, but it was draining her stamina faster than before.

Sitting up, the teen packed up her stuff, making a beeline for the setter who waited outside in the lobby for her.

"Thanks for always waiting, Keiji." She sent him a grin and headed to the bulletin board. The matches were set for the finals in the 5th round.

"You're nearly there to get your freebies." Akaashi commented.

"I know right? We're so close!" She dragged him by the arm to go out and head home. "Come on, I'm starving!"

Akaashi was being dragged, but with his long strides, he could easily keep up with the still energetic third year.

"When is the last round?" He asked. She had let go of his arm and they were walking side by side as always.

"The last round's in 2 days. It's going to be tough." She sighed and stretched out her fingers.

"Ah, you're helping us on that day." Akaashi realised. "You don't need to come if you'll be too tired for the match."

"…but people are relying on me to help with their serves." Shiori put her hands in her pockets. "I can't let them down."

The setter let a sigh through his nose.

"Well, don't worry! It's just helping them with serves! I won't do many, so it should be fine." Shiori smiled with determination as she nodded. "Yup!"

"You're way too positive." The vice-captain commented.

 _But that's a good trait to have,_ was what he wanted to continue and say, but he stopped himself.

"Just a little bit." She grinned.

They talked about random things until they reached her house and had dinner.

The male Maebara's were getting used to Akaashi coming over, and they paid it no mind, knowing that he was a sensible and reliable person.

"Thanks for coming." Shiori grinned as the boy put on his shoes. He was going home.

"Thank you for always having me." The setter stood up and nodded to the male Maebara's, who then left after bidding him goodbye, leaving him alone with Shiori.

They went outside to the gates, where Akaashi stopped to bid her bye.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Keiji-kun!" The female beamed at him.

"Mhm. See you tomorrow." Being as bold as the first time, he took a step closer and gave her a warm hug, embracing her close.

It might have been from the irritation that someone else (Kuroo) had started getting close to her, but it made him push forward.

Shiori tittered, "Your hugs are warm. I quite like receiving hugs from you."

Akaashi squeezed his arms a little tighter around her, "Then I'll give you more."

She grinned. "I'll be looking forward to it!"

* * *

"What does he think he's doing to my daughter?!" Yusei gripped the mug in his hands, his knuckles going white. A stiff smile was on his face as he watched them from the window.

"Eep! Dad! Your mug! Mug! You're going to break it!" Arata swiped the mug from his father's grasp and set it aside, huffing a sigh of relief.

"They're just hugging, calm down!" The son closed the curtain and pushed his dad away from the window.

"They're just hugging?! HE'S ALL OVER MY DAUGHTER, HOW DARE HE!"

"Dad! They're _just hugging!_ "

"I will not allow this!"

"CALM DOWN!"

* * *

 **MiracleBoy: We're going to definitely be headed to nationals!**

 **FlyHigh: Oh? Good luck! If you do, I'll probably be in the crowd somewhere.**

 **MiracleBoy: Oh! If you are, hold up a sign with MiracleBoy on it so I know it's you!**

 **FlyHigh: Lol no way! I'm there to support my own school, not Shiratorizawa.**

 **MiracleBoy: Eeeh! Which school?**

 **FlyHigh: Fukurodani.**

 **MiracleBoy: Oh?! That powerhouse school!**

 **FlyHigh: Yup! I'll be cheering our owls on so I won't have time for you swans~**

 **MiracleBoy: Ehhhhhhh?! That's mean!**

 **FlyHigh: Relax, I might. Depends on what matches are on at that time.**

 **MiracleBoy: You're awesome!**

 **FlyHigh: Not really lol.**

 _There's no doubt that Shiratorizawa's going to head to nationals,_ Shiori thought. Nearly every year, they had made it into it. It was hard to imagine another school in Miyagi beating them.

 _I hate to want to say it, but Iwa-chan and Tooru-chan probably won't win against Shiratorizawa with Aoba Johsai._

 _Ah. But I did hear from Kuroo that Karasuno, a former powerhouse, has this really cool godlike quick,_ she suddenly remembered Kuroo mentioning it when they were talking about powerhouse schools. _I think they had a practice match earlier sometime…forgot when, though._

 _Speaking of Aoba Johsai…I should tell them that I'm going._

 **Shiori to Iwa-chan, Trashykawa: I'll be going back to Miyagi in the summer!**

She got a quick reply from the latter.

 **Trashykawa: OH! RICCHAN! :D your mum actually told us~ how sweet of you to tell me 3**

 **Shiori: I told both you and Iwa-chan at the same time.**

 **Trashykawa: So sweet that you care for you childhood friends so much 3**

She then got a notification from the Godzilla lover.

 **Iwa-chan: That's great! I'll be looking forward to it.**

 _Ah._ Shiori typed something she forgot.

 **Shiori to Iwa-chan, Trashykawa: Good luck in the Inter highs!**

 **Iwa-chan: Thanks!**

 **Trashykawa: Easy for you to say when you're in a current powerhouse school! =3=**

 _As expected of him to say that,_ Shiori rolled her eyes.

 **Shiori: I'm not on the boys' team you idiot**

 **Trashykawa: But thanks anyway! :D**

Shiori sighed. She was going to have to put up with him again once she gets to Miyagi. She was glad she had Iwaizumi to help share her pain.

 **MiracleBoy: Hmmmmmmmm you know our ace, Wakatoshi Ushijima, right?**

 **FlyHigh: Yeah?**

Shiori wondered what was up with the sudden ask. Usually MiracleBoy was like that, but it seemed like he was close to the ace.

Of course, Shiori knew the ace as well, since she'd met him a few times when she was with Oikawa and Iwaizumi, but also when she was by herself as well. She also saw him multiple times when she went to meet her mum in Shiratorizawa back when she was in middle school. They had formed an acquaintance bond of some sort.

 **MiracleBoy: You know how in Shonen Jump they have ads? He reads all the ads in there! I don't think he even reads the manga hahaha**

 **FlyHigh: Really?! He does that?! Hahaha that's hilarious!**

Shiori laughed lightly. She could just imagine the ace reading a book with the most straight face, but it being only the ads.

 **MiracleBoy: I know right?**

 **FlyHigh: Oh yeah, that aside, I'll be going to Miyagi in the summer!**

 **MiracleBoy: What?! Really! We should meet up and play volleyball!**

 **FlyHigh: Maybe! I'll see how my schedule is.**

 **MiracleBoy: That's awesomeeeee!**

 _I might see him in Shiratorizawa, huh,_ she put her phone down and leaned back on her chair, closing her eyes. She had to study a bit to make up for the time she was going to be away on sports days.

She took out a few notebooks and flipped through them, trying to memorise what she needed to.

Then, her phone buzzed. When she read the message, a warm smile formed on her lips. It was like it was on cue, for this exact moment, for what she was doing now.

 **Keiji: Do you best.**


	19. raison 18

égoïste

raison #18

* * *

In the next fortnight, Shiori's training with the archery club increased because of their Inter Highs, and she was barely able to help out with the boys' volleyball club anymore during that time period.

The Maebara yawned when exiting the indoor archery centre, finding herself extremely tired.

For some stupidly odd reason, the teachers decided to increase the load of homework in those 2 weeks, knowing full well that people in sports clubs were going to Inter Highs.

 _Are they just sadists?_ Was the girl's first thought when she noticed the increasing load.

Due to that, she'd been staying up later than usual to complete what she had to, but even then, she was still having trouble keeping up. Maybe it was because the end of term exams were coming up, but they were ruthless.

"Good job today," Akaashi greeted her outside, having been waiting for her to finish club activities.

He's been doing that whenever he knew she was going to be training with the archery club. He wanted to make sure she got home safely, since it would be later at night. He had no doubt she could protect herself, but he wanted to spend more time with her.

It was also something of a precaution, he had heard that there was currently a pervert on the loose so he was worried that she might bump into them.

"Good work today, Akaashi," Shiori rubbed an eye and walked towards him with a lazy smile, "Did you wait long?"

He shook his head, "Let's go."

Even though she was tired, she ended up continually babbling about random things when they walked, effectively talking herself awake. At first, she talked about how archery went, but then it changed topics to the Inter Highs, then naturally, to volleyball.

"I think it might only be third years but they're ruthless to us." The teen sighed, "This is worse than losing the grand finals."

"Ah, Bokuto-san has been complaining about that too, lately." He turned to her, angling his head slightly. "Grand finals? Did Pillows lose against the Parrots?" He was referring to the grand final match at the sports centre between Shiori's team, Pillows, and the opposing team, Parrots.

He never got the game summary from her because he wasn't able to make it, as it was in the same time slot as morning training.

She nodded, stretching her arms. "Yeah. We played them 3 rounds—won one, lost two. The Parrots won by a couple of points in the last round. It sucks that we lost, but it was a really good game. Intensity was lit."

Akaashi wanted to see the game; it was very exciting when teams played to 3 rounds, and it was a kill or be killed approach when trying to take the game.

"Honestly I'm kind of sad I didn't get the freebies, though." She shoved her hands into her pockets, "But it was rightfully awarded so, better luck next time, I guess."

"On a side note, Keiji, you really don't need to walk me home every single time, you know. I know we live the same way and all, but you're taking too much time in waiting for me and all that." Shiori leaned forward, slightly tilting her head on an angle so she was looking at the younger male with inquisitive eyes.

"I'm making sure you get home safely." Was his answer.

"I know that, but like," She gestured with her hands, like she was juggling, "You're already spending so much time doing things for me that I just feel bad."

"I'm doing this of my own accord, Shiori-san. Don't worry too much about it."

"Hmm…" She held a look of uncertainty but then let out a gentle sigh, "Well, I suppose I can't stop you if you're fixated on it. So, thank you!"

"It's no problem." He fiddled with his fingers, "But if you run into any trouble, don't be reckless."

"Am I really getting lectured by someone younger than me?" There was a look of disbelief on her face, but then she shook her head with a smile, patting the male's shoulder, "Thanks for your concern, Keiji-kun. I'll definitely think things through…hopefully."

"Shiori-san, there's a pervert on the loose that you might run into." The setter stated matter-of-factly.

"Hm? Oh, that. I heard about it too. I'm supposed to call the police or something when I see them, but let's be real here. I'd probably scream, or throw something at them, or even _accidently_ beat the living daylights out of them if they tried to get close." She shrugged, "But don't worry. I _hopefully_ won't do anything reckless. Thanks for being concerned about me, though. You're too nice."

Akaashi looked at her sceptically. Of course, she wouldn't do it on purpose, but she'd probably accidently elbow them, kick them or punch them if push came to shove. He hoped nothing did happen, though. Violence is never the answer in any situation unless it really called for it.

Steering away from that topic, Akaashi had another in mind. "The archery club's Inter Highs are tomorrow." He was met with a hum of agreement in response. "Good luck, Shiori-san."

"Thanks! I'll do my best not to let them down!" She grinned, holding up her closed fists in excitement.

Akaashi nodded in response as they made their way home.

When they reached Shiori's house, she bid him bye, then waited for him to give her a hug. She grinned when he did.

"I really do like your hugs!"

"You say that every time." The setter pulled away and adjusted his bag strap. He was quite happy that she was happy about it, and he wanted to distract himself before he could think of anything that might cause him to lose composure.

"But I do!" She insisted, laughing. She waved, entering her house. "See you!"

The second year left when she closed the door, going straight home. Once he reached his house, he was greeted by his mother, who he greeted back when he took his shoes off.

"Welcome home! You're early today." The older woman smiled at him, slightly surprised.

"Shiori-san is having her Inter Highs tomorrow so she needs to rest."

His mother nodded in understanding, "Ah, I see. Is she doing volleyball? You did say you practiced with her sometimes."

Her son shook his head as he made his way inside to the dining room, setting his stuff down. "She's not in any clubs. She's just helping out the archery club because they're low on members for the Inter Highs."

"Oh? That's surprising! I thought she would be on the girl's team."

"The volleyball Inter Highs are on the same times for both genders, mum."

"Ah! I see! Well then, let's eat. Your dad will be home late so it's just you and me tonight."

* * *

 _My fingers are sore…_ Shiori was massaging and fiddling with her fingers.

It must have been because they had upped the number of practice sessions the last couple of weeks, but it finally hit her on the day that the Inter Highs were on.

 _Why now, of all times?_ She mentally sighed, wanting to just close her eyes and sleep it off.

Except, she couldn't. They were in the 2nd match, their last match for the day. They had won the first one, and if they won the 2nd, they would move onto the 2nd tier where they would face other higher levelled schools.

 _I can already imagine my fingers dropping off at the end of this…_

In archery, one would need to stay very focused and steady in order to get a good shot and earn top scoring points. It's a battle for muscle endurance, especially arm, neck and back muscles that are used to hold up the bow.

Of course, due to Shiori's nature in competitive sports, it was a playing field she was used to.

One of the things she hated the most was losing, but if it was justified and she acknowledged her opponent and why she lost, then it was all good. But that doesn't mean she didn't want to win. Even if she complained about things related to it, it wouldn't hinder her performance, and that was a thing she was proud of.

And, that proved here even now.

"Shiori-san! It's your turn next!" The 2nd year manager of the club went up to the 3rd year and ushered her over so that she could prepare.

"Yup, alright."

She took the bow and held it, switching it between hands as if testing its weight.

 _Archery, volleyball; same principle. Hit it…until it breaks._

* * *

 **Akaashi: How was the Inter Highs?**

Shiori was currently at home, finishing off the dreaded load of work her teachers had so kindly stacked for her.

 _Good timing, I need to rest._ She looked up at the clock, seeing it tick to 8pm. She had been doing it nonstop with few breaks in between when she got home at 3, because their matches ended early.

 **Shiori: It was good! We passed the second round, so we need to go back tomorrow for the next tier.**

 **Akaashi: Good job. Good luck for tomorrow.**

 **Shiori: Thank you~!**

A smile had settled on her lips; the 2nd year was so considerate. Apart from Yukie, he was the only one who would text her encouraging messages like that. Others preferred to call or talk in person because typing was too tedious of a chore.

Shiori exited her room and went to get some snacks; she wanted something delicious and sweet, something that could help wash away her fatigue.

"How about you eat an ice block? That always helps. Or maybe a chilli." Arata was sprawled out on the sofa, and knew exactly what she was trying to get, but had some fun with his teasing.

"I'm not like you, I can't eat that much spice!" She frowned. "And I don't like eating ice! It's too cold. I want something like…" She rummaged through the fridge and cupboards, then successfully found a packet of blueberries. "Blueberries!"

"Give me some." The older Maebara waved a lazy arm as he looked over the head of the sofa, waiting for her to come to him.

"Stop being a lazy ass and come get it yourself."

"Stingy."

* * *

The second day of the Inter Highs started well for the archery club. They won their first match of the day and were currently preparing themselves for the 2nd.

Shiori massaged and stretched her fingers, making sure they were all nice and warmed up, since she had her turn next.

She was ready, but she knew competition would be harder now that they've gotten past the first batch of schools.

 _Just how far can I go with this?_ She wondered.

Of course, she would love to go to nationals, but she had a feeling that it would be very, very hard considering the competition she's seen while waiting by the bleachers.

 _Well, it's not like it's a new thing anyway,_ she thought back to her middle school years, where she would go and play other schools in volleyball and play at her best, but losing only after getting into nationals. The build up to it was tough too, especially when there were people older than her with more experience, or more talented younger players.

 _Well, time to hit it._

* * *

" **What?! You got through the 2** **nd** **tier?!"**

Shiori pulled back her phone from her ear, staring at it with a blank expression. She was used to this, because, after all, it was Bokuto.

Bokuto had called her after her match ended, which was around the same time they had finished their Saturday practice.

"Yup. Now we're onto the semi-finals." Shiori grinned to no one in particular. She packed her stuff and pushed her phone up against her shoulder and ear, holding it still while she moved and talked. She just hoped Kou didn't scream into it again.

" **That's awesome!"** Bokuto cheered from the other side.

"Thanks, Kou!"

" **Bokuto-san, what are you so excited about?"**

"Oh, is that Akaashi?" Shiori asked, picking up on the new voice.

" **Akaashi! Shiori got into the top 8!"**

" **Oh, did she?"**

" **Yeah, yeah! Why don't you talk to her too?"** Shiori could practically see the grin on his face.

There was a light shuffle and the sound of an exchange.

" **Shiori-san?"**

"Hi, Keiji-kun! How was practice?"

" **Hello. Practice was as usual."** He added after a moment, **"Good job getting into the top 8."**

"Thank you!" Shiori said in English.

" **Good luck tomorrow."** He spoke in English too, but then he handed the phone back to Bokuto.

" **Let's go out and eat yakiniku at that place I went to before! It's super delicious!"** Bokuto suggested. **"For an Inter High toast or something!"**

"Maybe, I don't know. We'll see." Shiori giggled at his enthusiasm. He liked it so much that he was going to go again.

"Shiori-san! The bus is ready! Can you help bring the equipment over?" The archery club manager shouted to her from the other side.

Shiori covered the phone and looked over the shoulder to face the manager, "Yup, okay!"

She placed the phone back to her ear, "Kou, sorry, but I have to go now. I'll talk to you later!"

" **Oh, okay! Bye!"**

"See you." She hung up and slipped it into her pocket, taking the equipment and bringing it to the bus.

 _Ah, Akaashi's said 'good luck tomorrow' every time to me the day before my matches,_ Shiori realised when she was loading the equipment. Her mind was dwelling on the conversation earlier.

She boarded the bus, sitting next to a friend.

 _Maybe I should do the same to him and the others when they have their Inter Highs?_ She stared at the people boarding the bus, _hm, well, of course. It's a given._

"Okay! So, we've managed to get past these two batches of schools!" The club captain, a 3rd year, stood at the front of the bus, holding a microphone. She was addressing all the people in the club that was currently on the bus. "Thank you guys for your effort—it was amazing to watch each and every one of you out there, doing your best! But, we're only halfway there! Let's get past tier 3 tomorrow and secure ourselves a spot in the grand finals!" She cheered, throwing her arm up.

As she cheered, those in the club followed suit, including Shiori.

"Alright! Let's get you guys back home!"

* * *

"Keiji, welcome home. How was practice today?"

Akaashi walked into the kitchen and greeted his mother, "I'm home. Practice was as usual."

There was a glint in his mother's eyes, "Anything new today? Did you hear from your friend Shiori-chan?"

"She got into the top 8." He answered easily.

"Oh! That's great." His mother smiled.

Akaashi noticed that his mum never usually asked something like that, so right after he answered, he looked at her with a confused expression, wondering where that came from.

 _As sharp as always,_ she mentally praised her son.

"You talk about Shiori-chan a lot." She pointed out.

"Do I?" He questioned himself, trying to remember back to each conversation he had with his mother. He didn't recall talking about her that much, only telling her a little bit about his day, and what he was doing and all.

 _I don't even think I say much related to her to my mum…_

"She's the only girl you talk about apart from the volleyball team managers." His mother was smiling now.

When the setter didn't reply, she continued. "I'd like to meet her someday."

"…okay." Keiji said.

His mother nodded. If she met with Shiori, she wanted to say 'thank you for being friends with my son'.

She laughed gently, "Keiji, do your best!" She gave him an enthusiastic smile before proceeding to watch her TV show.

With a curt nod, the setter went into his room, where he would realise that his mother had caught onto his growing feelings for the girl.

He rubbed his temples, taking a quick look at his phone home screen.

It was a blurry picture of Konoha, Bokuto, Yukie, Shiori and him, taken during the study sleepover weeks ago. Shiori had used her phone to take a selfie and sent it to everyone, so he set it as his home screen.

He closed it and put it face down, hand going over his eyes.

 _It's not that obvious, is it?_

* * *

 _Oh man, they've gotten 5 near bullseyes in a row…_ Shiori stared at the scoreboard.

They had won their first match of the day and were waiting for their 2nd match opponents to finish up their first match. They had come to see the outcome of the match, but right now, one team was winning by a landslide. She and the archery club watched them from the bleachers.

 _That's closer to it than any of us._ The Maebara glanced at her teammates. They all had focused expressions; watching, analysing. Most of them were 3rd years and were quite serious about the sport, so they didn't want to lose.

 _We only get bullseyes on flukes. The others have better aim than I do because they've played longer, and we get close to the eye on a regular basis._ Her hands became fists when she realised that an opponent of equal standing was facing them. A team that's gotten similar results to them so far.

 _This will be fun…!_

"E-eh, Shiori, your face is kinda scary."

"Oh, is it?"

"Y-yeah…"

"I guess I'm a little excited about our match. They seem like good opponents to play." Shiori took an apple from her bag to eat.

"This was the school we lost to last year."

"Oh? You guys lost to these guys last year?" The third years' brows rose, then she took a bite out of her apple. As she chewed, she watched the 2nd last shooter of the team winning by a landslide. He was incredibly skilled, and it didn't take long for them to get another near bullseye.

 _I wish I had accuracy like that in archery,_ Shiori thought, envious. She had an insane amount of accuracy and control in volleyball, but that doesn't mean it would travel over to other sports.

"Do you think we can beat him?" Shiori heard the seat next to her push down as a teammate took a seat. It was the male of the team, and he was analysing the current player thoroughly.

Shiori glanced at him, then at the guy who did many near misses.

The archery club wasn't a gender specific club, so both girls and boys could join and take part, even in competition. However, even though it was as such, Fukurodani only had one male in the club, and he sat next to her now.

"I'm not sure. Possibly. It all depends on how well we play." The girl responded thoughtfully, "We just need to concentrate."

"That's the only thing you say?" He raised a brow at her, glancing with the side of his eye.

"Well, yeah. What else am I supposed to say? What were you expecting?"

"An analysation of how we can beat him thoroughly. He's the best player on their team, I think."

"I'm not _that_ analytical. I just go with the flow."

"…whatever you say, Shiori."

* * *

Yukie walked down to the convenience store. She really wanted to get some good food, but she had a limited budget so convenience store onigiri it was. She was too lazy to make anything herself when she could just buy it, especially with the mountain of homework she had.

 _I wonder how Shiori and Bokuto are doing with it,_ she wondered. _Oh, and Konoha, Washio, Komi and Saru, too. They all got the same, or similar, stuff to what we got._

As she entered her destination, she headed straight for the refrigerated section, picking out some flavours she wanted.

"Maybe I should get pickled plum…" She mumbled to herself, hand hovering over it. It then quickly went to chicken teriyaki, "Or maybe this one…" The thing was, was that both of them only had 1 left.

She did that a few times, wondering which one she really wanted. She wanted both, but she couldn't afford both along with the other stuff she was going to purchase.

Suddenly, a hand shot out to grab the last remaining chicken teriyaki, making her look at the person with surprise.

"Ah! Konoha?" Yukie nodded in greeting.

 _So he was the one who took it._

"I'll take this so you can have the other one." He grinned.

"But I wanted the chicken teriyaki." She frowned slightly at the male.

"Huh? Really? Oh, then you have it. I'll have the plum then." He put the onigiri into her basket and went to grab the other one.

"Now I want pickled plum, not teriyaki."

"Hah? Which one do you want?" Konoha raised a brow at her.

"Plum."

"Alright." The wing spiker swapped them.

"Now I want chicken teriyaki."

"Make up your mind already!"

"Took you long enough to decide what you wanted." The male teen snorted and walked by her side, down the street to the nearby park. They were just going to chill.

"Have you finished that stack of stuff?" Konoha asked, glancing at her.

"Not yet. I'm ¾ through." She sat on the bench and put the stuff on her lap, rummaging through to find the first thing she wanted to eat.

Aki sat beside her. "Wah, so quick. I've done like 5 pages."

"Good luck!"

"Thanks, I'll need it."

Yukie got out the onigiri from earlier and started eating. As she did, she thought of what would happen if Shiori made it to nationals with the archery club, considering that her matches were on as she ate.

 _Would she spend less time with us because she has to train with them?_ She wondered. She hoped not, because she really treasured their time together, especially since it was their last year in school. They might not go to the same universities.

Konoha opened up his onigiri and began eating. He had a goal in mind, but he didn't want to just pop the question out of nowhere. He had to soften the blow first.

"You think Bokuto would be ready for Inter Highs?" He asked first.

Yukie was snapped out of her thoughts, turning to the male with her mouth full of onigiri. "Mhmm." She refrained from giving an actual answer until she ate what was in her mouth. "He's been more fired up since Shiori's been giving updates on her archery matches."

"Ah. So that's what he meant before…"

"What happened before?"

"He shouted 'I'm not going to lose to her!' in the middle of practice."

"Typical Bokuto…" Yukie laughed. "It makes me wonder if he sees her as a rival."

Konoha wondered himself, too. Sure, she was good, but he never thought of Shiori and Bokuto being rivals. They weren't ever going to compete together or against each other in official competitions, so there was no point to viewing each other that way.

 _Or, unless he just views everyone as a rival,_ Konoha thought for a moment, then dismissed that thought, _nah, he wouldn't think that way. It's Bokuto, after all._

"Maybe not." Konoha said.

Yukie hummed while she got another piece of food, "Are you sure? He's always fired up whenever he's heard of her achievements or whatnot."

"Are you sure he's not just showing off?"

"He does that all the time."

"Oh yeah, true."

"Maybe Komi does; it looks like he sees her as a sort of rival—I mean, someone to beat, too."

"Oh. Yeah, Komi might, too. He was really annoyed that he wasn't able to get a lot of her serves when she first served to him. You should've seen him, he was beating himself up over it."

"But he got there in the end, didn't he?"

"Nah, he said just a few days ago that it was still a working progress. Said that because she kept changing up what type of serve and which arm she used on each serve that it was hard to know what kind of serve was coming. He's getting there though."

"That's good. She must have lighted a fire in him, too."

"You mean under him."

Yukie paused for a moment, then chuckled because that was true. Komi was the leader in defence as the one with the position of libero. So, of course he would feel the most pressure if he wasn't able to get a serve from one of the former best. And, as a school that prided itself in being one of the top schools in volleyball, he had that reputation to uphold as a member of the regular team.

"Oh yeah, what are you going to put down for your career pathways?" Konoha wondered. He wasn't too sure, considering he himself was kind of dumb in the academic sense, especially with foreign languages and math.

"Me? Uh…I think I'm going to say something like 'food tester', 'food critic', or maybe a 'nutritionist' or something related to food science."

"You really love your food, don't you?" He sweat dropped.

She giggled, grinning. "Yeah. What about you?"

"I was thinking of something sports related. Maybe sports science? Or something to do with it." He added after a moment, "But my grades suck so I should really work on them if I want to get into something like that."

"Why not a volleyball coach?"

"Oh, that sounds good too."

"Ah, I should give that suggestion to Shiori too."

"What, I thought she wanted to be a designer?"

"I don't think she's going to give up volleyball, so it might be a fun side job for her."

"That sounds about right."

There was a moment of silence, with Konoha breaking it with the purpose of this whole talk. "Hey, Shirofuku, can I copy your homework? It's due tomorrow and I haven't done it."

"I knew it, you had some ulterior motive."

"Wha?! What do you mean?! I'm not suspicious!"

"It's weird that you bought both onigiri for me just before. So, it was for this…fine, I'll give you some photos later."

"You're a lifesaver!"

"Next time, buy me 4 times as many."

"Wha—?! I'm not rich, you know!"


	20. raison 19

égoïste

raison #19

* * *

 _ **I think I saw her at an archery match today!**_

 _ **What, really?! What did she look like?!**_

 _ **She looked like those pictures, but I couldn't see her properly because she was far away.**_

 _ **You should have taken pictures!**_

 _ **I know!**_

 _ **What school was she playing for?**_

 _ **Fukurodani!**_

 _ **Oh?! That volleyball powerhouse in Tokyo!**_

 _ **Yeah!**_

Shiori stared at the screenshot of conversation MiracleBoy had sent her, her brown eyes widening as she read each line. She was sure she was seeing things, but she was also 200% sure she wasn't, and that was the real deal right there, happening within the forums.

 _Just how the hell did they even find out who I was just from these crappy pictures alone?_ Shiori sighed with a slight frown and crease of the brows.

 _In any case, why was there a volleyball fan at a high schooler's archery competition? This forum is blowing out of control. It's like there are stalkers everywhere. First seeing me in Tokyo, then seeing me in an archery competition?_

 _What a pain._ She pressed her fingers to her temples, rubbing them in circles.

"Shiori, what's wrong? You look really tired." Arata looked down from behind the couch, staring at his sister who was sprawled out on the entirety of the length.

"This." She thrust the phone in his direction.

He glanced at it, his brows raising slightly, before he let out a light laugh. "Wow, they're onto you, dear little sister of mine."

"It's all because someone spread the word on an online forum, or passed the word by mouth." The teenager sat up and put her slippers on. "And that was just today, too. Information passes quickly in forums like this."

"Isn't that because you helped out Fukurodani's boy team?" Arata handed her back the phone.

"Yeah, but…"

"Then it's no problem, right? You're the one who decided to ultimately go through with it. Weren't you prepared for things like this, anyway? It's earlier than what you thought it'd be, though, right?"

"I guess so, but…"

"You're afraid that they'll force you into playing games that won't satisfy?" Arata leaned against the back of the sofa, arms dangling.

"...more than that, I don't want them to follow me wherever I go." She looked to her phone, seeing another message from MiracleBoy.

 **MiracleBoy: I just saw these! I think you said something about going to Fukurodani, right?! Doesn't that mean she goes to your school?! That's so cool! I'm jealous~**

She didn't reply, just stared. She didn't know how to reply to something like that.

Arata let out a gentle exhale and placed a hand over his younger sister's head, purposely messing up her hair before bringing her in closer to hug her.

"Don't worry about it too much, young one."

"Stop speaking like an old man."

"Don't be mean to your brother! Ahem!" He cleared his throat, "Really, don't worry about it. I highly doubt they'd follow you everywhere. They're pretty tame for people related to sports. They're simply curious about you since you disappeared for like 3 years."

"Are you sure? I didn't think it'd blow up this much in just a short while, though."

"You're forgetting how much popularity you got for just being really good at something, young missy."

"So? Popularity means nothing if you can't back it up."

"Am I really hearing that from you? You can back it up. It's just out of your own personal reasons that you don't want to, or not yet, anyway. Don't talk as if you think of yourself as not good enough."

"I'm not saying I'm not good enough. I'm just speaking from experience. I've got lots to improve on, and the public's just going to want more. They'll only ditch you when they've exploited you for what you've got."

"You make it sound like this is related to money."

"Just like what happened to you before?" The minute Shiori spoke those words, she gasped and tensed, realising that she said something that she shouldn't have. She pressed her lips together and tried to turn around, but hesitated, feeling Arata's arm tighten around her shoulders. "I'm so—"

He let go of her and let his forearms dangle while he rested on the back of the sofa, "No, you're right, Ricchan. People who want a scoop, will try and get a scoop until they've got one. But then, they want more, and when you can't deliver, they're gone. The world works like that." He chuckled knowingly, "Both of us know that, don't we?"

Shiori finally turned around to glance at her brother, "I'm sorry, I just…"

"It's fine. It's happened, so there's nothing that I can really say about it, except that I learnt from that experience." He placed a large hand on her head and smiled, before leaving to go back to his room. He then stepped out after a moment, "Also, congratulations on getting to the grand finals!"

She watched him go back into his room, feeling guilty that she brought up a touchy topic. She sighed, mentally berating herself for doing such a thing, then went to reply to her online friend.

 **FlyHigh: I'm not sure if I've seen her around. I might have, but she might look different to those pictures because they're hard to see what she really looks like, so…**

 **MiracleBoy: Oh yeah, they are kind blurry and zoomed in, aren't they? Sorry about that! I just wish they took better pictures!**

 **FlyHigh: They might in the future, if she decides to go back into doing competitive volleyball!**

 **MiracleBoy: I wish she would! She was really good, especially when serving! I think Wakatoshi-kun knows her since she used to see him at matches from time to time! So maybe I should ask him what she looks like?**

Shiori raised a brow at the message.

 _Ask Ushijima?_ She questioned. _Well, he does know what I look like because he's seen me so many times, but…knowing him, he'll probably describe me as something like 'black hair, brown eyes, girl, volleyball player'…pfft, I feel kind of sorry for this guy if he wants to know what I look like._

 **FlyHigh: Maybe you can try ask him? He's the ace of Shiratorizawa, right?**

 **MiracleBoy: Yeah, I will! I need to get back my copy of Shounen Jump, too. He keeps taking too long because he's reading those ads.**

 **FlyHigh: Hahaha I still find that hilarious!**

Shiori's reply was left at 'seen'.

 _Maybe he's going to ask him for his copy of Jump back, and ask Ushijima what I look like. I doubt he's going to find anything, anyway._

Shiori stood up and opened the glass doors to the backyard, sitting half inside and outside, dangling her legs outside to feel the wind. It was getting warmer the closer it got to summer.

As she sat outside, her mind wandered back to what she said to Arata before. She did feel sorry that she brought it back up, because it was a sore spot that Arata preferred not to talk about, but will talk about or brief over if someone asked. He was too kind to outright reject them.

She sighed gently to herself.

A long while ago, back when Arata had started his first year of university and Shiori was still in third year middle school, he fell for a sweet, sweet girl. She was a person nice and kind to everyone, and worked hard to pursue her dreams.

That was his first mistake.

It wasn't Arata's first relationship, as he'd had only one other from high school.

The two became a couple, and spent a lot of time together. Of course, Arata would make sure he had time with his only sister, who he treasured a lot more than the girl he was seeing. But, that was the downfall.

The woman he dated—her charms were enough to fool anyone, anyone that would come across her path. But Arata was someone who wouldn't budge on his stance of priorities when it came to his family. She wanted to be number 1, above all else. And so, when she learnt that his sister, who was younger but much more accomplished and beautiful than she was, was higher on his priorities list than she was, she became jealous, and things took a worse off turn from there.

The façade that she had meticulously built up over the years began to crumble and she had revealed what she was truly like—the opposite of what she had portrayed herself as at the start of their relationship.

Arata was no idiot; he noticed the change, but he had stayed with her nonetheless because he believed people could change for the better, and that it was just a phase that she went through.

Shiori had only discovered partway through her brother's relationship that she was someone she didn't want to get involved with; sixth sense, if she'd call it something like that. She would see how she looked at her, how she looked at people around her. It would almost be terrifying; like a wolf hiding in sheep's clothing.

She regretted not telling her brother that she didn't approve of their relationship, but at that time, she couldn't say anything, because she knew how much her brother liked her. She didn't want to destroy something that he had chosen to continue with, so she remained quiet. That was her biggest regret.

After that woman's change, it became like any other horrible old fashioned story about couples—she would start to spend less time with him, would use him only for certain things such as the body, and even though she would whisper sweet things, they meant nothing. However, that was just behind the scenes. Out in the open, she would act as the sweetest person anyone could imagine; the perfect girlfriend, per say.

It wasn't before long that she started to ask him for things she wanted to get but 'didn't have enough money' to get. Arata, being the kind person he was, did pay for a few of her items if she whined too much about it, and when he didn't get her anything, she would swipe his card and use it to splurge on herself and her friends, rationalising that because they were a couple and she was his girlfriend, this was something that was a given.

It was only a couple of weeks after that he knew about this, and they got into a huge fight. A fight that Shiori had accidently walked in on when she got home from practice.

The woman had blamed Shiori for everything—the jealousy, rage and inferiority that she felt whenever she saw her, whenever she was next to Arata because she was never the one he ever thought about.

Shiori, at that time, didn't say anything because she didn't understand how that would work—why would she hold so much anger to someone who was just a sister? She was the girlfriend, not her.

When she pointed this out, the woman had gone to slap her, but was stopped by Arata, who told her to get out of the house and never show her face ever again. He also told her that if she did, he'd press charges for fraud and identity theft, as well as embezzlement.

While she was still in her angry state, she spat out everything that she thought of Arata, from when she first saw him to now.

How she'd only had his eye on him because he was good looking, sporty, kind and smart; she would be able to climb up the social ladder that way, and she would be able to get lots of benefits just from being in a relationship with him. She confessed that it was a lot harder than she initially thought because he wasn't like the other guys who she'd dated before, and it was harder because he was always on his guard.

And then, she left.

Arata was devastated, but he knew it was coming.

"I guess people still fall for the face, huh." He had said at that time. He was conflicted; and he was sad because it was another relationship fail.

His ex, the one that had just walked out; he did have feelings, but in the end, he fell for a façade. He was frustrated over the fact that he didn't end this earlier, and it had come to a point where she had stolen from him and even tried to harm his little sister.

"Listen, Ricchan. Don't ever judge someone by how good looking their face is. You have to talk, interact, and listen to them before you know whether or not they are a good person, but even then, you have to be careful. Make sure to take everything in; including body language. You don't know who will lie to you." Arata was crouching down at that time, holding his sister's hand as she sat on the ground to check on him, checking if she was okay.

"That's like saying that Tooru has a horrible personality, even though he's not that bad and just a volleyball idiot." Shiori had said at that time.

Arata had laughed, but Shiori could see the tears that had threatened to fall.

"I'm sorry for not telling you earlier. She, she was a bit scary. I didn't like her that much." Shiori had confessed. "But you liked her so I didn't want to say anything."

Arata would only hug her, smiling. "I'll trust your judgements next, then. Feel free to tell me."

If he was called a siscon, he wouldn't care. It was true he loved his sister very, very much and was incredibly protective of her too.

"Just don't make the same mistake I have."

Arata didn't change after that, but his approach towards dating did. He wouldn't date anyone unless they had known him for a while, and he knew what they were really like. So, he pretty much didn't date at all for the whole time after that failed relationship.

Shiori had never really been someone who would have someone she really liked. As she was growing up, in primary and middle school, she was more focused on volleyball and doing things that made her happy rather than anything else, so she found little time for it. But, she did have occasional crushes here and there (mainly in primary), but they never worked out, because although she was friends with them, she lacked the courage and drive to do something about it because they were never on the priorities list. It would eventually go away after a week or a few months, and everything would resume as normal.

Now, it was pretty much non-existent. She did like people, but the words that Arata had spoken to her after his bad breakup, had instilled a type of fear inside her, alongside what happened in middle school.

Would something like that happen to her, too? How much pain is Arata in, and why is he smiling? Isn't he supposed to be sad? These were thoughts that were going through her mind at that time.

Rather than for love, friendships were what Shiori was worried about. What if other people she became friends with became that way? Or, what if people only wanted to become her friend because she was good looking? Or if they wanted to exploit something?

Even though they were her fears, right now, Shiori was content with her friends group. They were good people she could trust.

Shiori sighed as she stared at the sky that changed to different colours as the sun came down. She had gone down memory lane a little bit.

"I've gone and thought up of something troublesome again, huh…" Shiori mumbled to herself, standing up. She closed the door and went to go get a jacket; it was getting cooler.

When she went back to her room, she saw a few sheets of paper she still had to do. She was thankful that she had nearly finished it after focusing for so long.

Her phone buzzed when she threw a throw blanket around her shoulders instead, leaving her room like a hero with a cape.

 **MiracleBoy: I FOUND IT!**

 **FlyHigh: Woah, woah, found what?**

 **MiracleBoy: WAKATOSHI-KUN HAD A SELFIE WITH HER BACK IN MIDDLE SCHOOL! IT'S HIS PHONE WALLPAPER?! *picture attached***

Shiori's brows creased as she blinked a couple of times, trying to see if she was reading it right. When she realised she really was reading it right, her brown eyes widened and she quickly took a look at the picture. It was a picture of a phone, and the wallpaper was a girl boy pair, one of them being Ushijima, and both were holding peace signs.

The Maebara's throw blanket fell to the floor as she gripped her phone with both her hands, jaw dropping. She stared at the picture, trying to remember when and where she had taken a picture like that. When she did finally remember, she let out a loud profanity and a loud groan, covering her eyes with her hand.

"Oh my God…" She groaned, picking up her blanket.

"What's wrong?" Arata peaked his head through the door of his room.

Shiori made a face and went over to him, showing him the picture. He started laughing when he saw it, having read the message before.

"Seriously? That guy?!" He could barely form words as he laughed, laughing harder each time. "Hahaha!"

"Shut up!" Shiori lightly hit him on the shoulder, walking away. She sat at the dining table, typing out a reply. She could still hear Arata's laughing in the background.

 _I can't believe he actually used that picture as his phone wallpaper!_ She internally groaned, covering her face. _Shit, if this becomes big news I'm screwed. MIRACLEBOY PLEASE DON'T SPREAD THIS._

 **MiracleBoy: SHE'S SO CUTE WHAT THE HELL? I'M SO JEALOUS OF WAKATOSHI-KUN?! HOW COME I DIDN'T SEE THIS SOONER?!**

 **FlyHigh: Does that mean he's had this wallpaper for like 3 years?**

 **MiracleBoy: I just asked him, he's right next to me, and he said yes?!**

 **FlyHigh: What?! Why? If he knows her why doesn't he just take a new picture?**

 **MiracleBoy: He said that it's because it was the only picture on his phone that wasn't a volleyball. PFFT HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA! He doesn't know how lucky he is to get a picture like that!**

 **FlyHigh: That is so weird what**

 **MiracleBoy: He's just like this ahhaha~ oh, he said that she should have come to Shiratorizawa BAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH**

Shiori stifled a laugh when she imagined Ushijima saying that line; she swore she heard Oikawa imitating Ushijima one time telling him to come to Shiratorizawa. It pissed him off to no end but it was hilarious as.

 **MiracleBoy: Apparently she was also sent a sports recommendation.**

 **FlyHigh: Oh, is that so? That's pretty cool. But isn't Shiratorizawa famous for its powerful boys' team, not girls'?**

 **MiracleBoy: I guess so. But she could still be our manager!**

 **FlyHigh: How would that work if she was supposed to be there on a sports recommendation?**

 **MiracleBoy: I don't know! She could be both?**

 **FlyHigh: Wouldn't that force her to work a bit too much? Poor girl.**

 **MiracleBoy: Well…I guess so. She could join the boys team as a helper for receives or something!**

Shiori stared at that message.

 _Where have I heard this before? Hmmmmmm?_

Somewhere in a nearby suburb, Akaashi sneezed.

 **FlyHigh: You have too much of an expectation of her, man.**

 **MiracleBoy: What, how? If she's good at volleyball she should definitely play!**

 **FlyHigh: That being said, it makes me wonder why she left Miyagi in the first place.**

 **MiracleBoy: Ah. Maybe she didn't want to play?**

 **FlyHigh: Honestly I have no idea. She just apparently goes to my school. If I see her, I'll tell you yeah?**

 **MiracleBoy: Thank youuuuuu! TAKE A PICTURE TOO!**

 **FlyHigh: Yeah yeah**

The Maebara sighed, shaking her head. She was dealing with a person who was on Shiratorizawa's boys' volleyball team, is close to the ace, and is a fan of her. It was a little tiring having to talk to him without revealing her identity, but it was for the better.

 _Ah, wait a minute._ She stared at her phone's blanked out screen.

 _If he's close to the ace, plays volleyball and is on the team, doesn't that mean he might be on the regular team?_ She pressed her fist to her lip. _That's a huge possibility. Either that, or they're roommates or something._

Her phone buzzed, brightening when she got a message. She thought it was from MiracleBoy again, but it wasn't.

 **Trashykawa: RICCHAN I THINK YOU'RE FEATURED IN THE MONTHLY VOLLEYBALL MAGAZINE! LOOK! It says that there are rumours you're helping a powerhouse school to victory! *picture attached***

Shiori stared at the picture, reading what the magazine had to say about her. Oikawa normally sent her pictures of when he was in it, and sent a selfie along with it too because he was so happy.

 **Shiori: Don't believe stuff like that, Tooru-chan! But it's true.**

 **Trashykawa: What?! You could have come to help out Seijoh!**

 **Shiori: But I'm in Tokyo lol no way I like it here.**

 **Trashykawa: But Ricchannnnnn! I miss you! And Iwa-chan missed you too!**

 **Shiori: I know but I'm coming back for a little bit so hold your horse's pretty boy.**

 **Trashykawa: But I can't wait!**

 **Shiori: Oh really? Time to get beaten again in serving?**

 **Trashykawa: You're so mean.**

 **Shiori: I love how that's coming from you. You've probably improved a lot, so don't worry too much about it.**

 **Trashykawa: I love you so much~~!**

 **Shiori: Kay thanks.**

 **Trashykawa: So cruel!**

Shiori giggled at her childhood friend. She could practically hear him saying each of those lines.

 _I wonder what would happen if I told him about Ushijima having our selfie as a wallpaper…pfft, he'd probably blow his lid and storm over to the guy to get him to delete it._

 _Ah,_ she suddenly remembered that she forgot to do something. She typed a quick message, one for her favourite kouhai.

 **Shiori to Akaashi: Keiji~! We're off to the grand finals!**

* * *

When Akaashi received a message first, he was a little surprised. They were one more match away from getting to nationals.

He was in the middle of dinner, so he didn't reply just yet, only checking the contents while he ate.

"That's your friend Shiori-chan, isn't it?" His mother teased him with a smile.

Akaashi wasn't fazed one bit anymore; she seemed to become a little more of a tease when she found out. So, he nodded.

"Did she win her matches?"

"Yeah. She's gone through to the finals."

"Oh! That's amazing. It's not even her favourite sport. Tell her I said good luck!"

"Okay."

"You can reply to her now if you want."

"Mhmm."

 **Akaashi to Shiori-san: That's great. When's the next match? Mum says good luck.**

 **Shiori-san: Thank you~! The next match is tomorrow, so I won't be at school. Tell you mum I said thanks~**

 **Akaashi: Good luck for tomorrow.**

 **Shiori-san: And a thanks to my favourite kouhai too~**

"Keiji, what did she say to make you smile?"

"It's nothing."

"It's definitely something."

"Mum…"

"Mhmm?"

"Please stop."


	21. raison 20

égoïste

raison #20

* * *

"Argh! They were really strong!" Shiori let out a tired sigh, rubbing her forearm. She was walking with the other members of the archery club to the bus, where they would be heading back to the school after their grand final matches.

"Yeah, as expected of a school that went to nationals for the past 10 years." The lone male of the club placed his hands on his hips, "5 bullseyes in a row from each person. That's way too OP."

"Yeah, I know right? But at least they didn't go easy on us. That would've been humiliating. Not that it isn't that we lost by so much, but hey, at least we tried."

"What does OP mean?" As Shiori and the male talked with gaming terms in their conversation, the other members of the club glanced at each other, wondering what they meant. Normally the duo had talks like this so it left a few of them in the dark to what they meant.

"It means 'over-powered', apparently." The club captain adjusted the strap of her bag, checking her watch.

"Ah…I see…"

* * *

Kuroo typed a message on his phone, then erased it, then typed something again, and then erased it again. He frowned and put it down, staring at the wall and wondering what to write.

He wanted to text Shiori about something volleyball related to hear her opinions since she was interesting to talk to, especially behind that icy exterior and direct bluntness. But the problem was that she could shut down his texts with an 'okay, will check it out' or just a plain 'okay', which kills the chance for any other texts.

It was probably unintentional, but it was enough to make the Nekoma captain think he was a bother to her.

 _How does Bokuto do this?_ He wondered. His owl friend had told him that he would call her more than text because it was easier, but it took him a while to get used to it because her voice was so close to his ear.

 _I don't even know what to say to her,_ Kuroo let out a light sigh and took out a notebook, trying to distract himself from his thoughts. When that didn't work, he closed it, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

 _Why do I even want to talk to her anyway?_ He wondered. Sure, behind that pretty face she had accomplishments and interesting traits that were really cool, and it seemed fun to get to know them, but what intrigued the male was that she was the type to unintentionally push people away through that bluntness of hers.

 _I think it's because she's interesting, or maybe because Bokuto keeps saying she's really cool, or maybe because she used to be a champion? I don't know._

Kuroo rested his forehead on his desk, but then heard the door open with a gentle knock. He lifted his head and turned to the door.

"Kuro, were you sleeping?" Kenma walked in and took a seat on the ground where the share table was.

"Nah, just thinking." The older male replied. He got off his seat and took a few notebooks with him, sitting adjacent the gamer.

Kenma had taken out his gaming console to play, clicking away. He was at Kuroo's to study for an upcoming test, but he didn't really want to do it because he was playing a good RPG with a good player.

"You playing with that FlyHigh person again?" Kuroo asked, eyeing the console.

"Yeah." Kenma gave a curt nod, "They're really good. It's been a while since I've played with them. They said they were busy with lots of work."

"Well, good thing they have some spare time, then." Kuroo suddenly remembered something Bokuto had told him.

Shiori played games.

He didn't know what kind of games, but he did know that he could talk to her about anything Kenma played, or he could get Kenma to talk to her or whatnot. He wanted to involve the team, but some might find it a bit strange, even though it was with good intentions.

"Ah, the pre-order comes on Thursday." Kenma read the message from FlyHigh, who was saying that the new game for monster hunter was coming out, asking if he had pre-ordered it as well.

Kuroo's eyes flickered to his childhood friend's console, "Didn't Bokuto say that Shiori played games too?"

The setter gave him a sideways glance, "I don't know." He wondered if Kuroo was interested in the girl.

"I'm pretty sure he did. Why don't you talk to her about games? She might know the game you're playing right now." The captain suggested.

"But why? You only want a reason to get closer to her, right?" Kenma typed a response to FlyHigh, telling them that he was going to go get it at the local store when it arrived.

"Eh, just a little bit." Kuroo added, "But you should try talking to her too, she's interesting." He grinned.

"Kuro, why don't you just go up to her? It's not that big of a deal." Kenma made a face at the captain. "What are you so scared of?"

Kuroo would have grimaced at Kenma's sharp words if he wasn't already beating himself up on how to approach a girl.

 _It's not that I'm not interested, say, not in the romantic sense but, more of a she's on a whole other level kind of sense. Ah._ Kuroo realised why he found her so interesting.

"Just do what you do normally." Kenma glanced at the message that FlyHigh sent, mulling over their words.

"That sounds about right." Kuroo mumbled to himself. He observed Kenma staring at the console, temporarily having stopped his motions. "What's wrong?"

"FlyHigh said they'll be going to the store near Fukurodani to pick it up. They said they wanted to meet up to discuss games since they don't know anyone that plays this well." Kenma responded.

"Eh, what are you going to say?" Kuroo's brows raised.

"I don't know."

"Well, it is kinda dangerous getting an invitation like this…" He sweat dropped.

Kenma was conflicted. He wanted to go to see who this person was, but he was a shy individual who didn't really want to go and meet people because he was anxious of what they thought of him.

Kuroo stared at his friend, going over a few thoughts. From what he knew, the game that they both wanted came out on Thursday that week, which was one day away from their Inter Highs. They'll probably have a short practice that day and go home to rest.

"It should be fine to go, right?" Kuroo started. "I can come with you."

Kenma looked up, in the middle of his response. "Ok. Thanks, Kuro."

 _He accepted so quickly…_ Kuroo wanted to laugh because it was so obvious Kenma wanted to go. It wasn't everyday there was a good player in the same area as him, and one that he wanted to meet.

Kenma entered a response, telling FlyHigh that he'll be there with a friend to pick up the game at the same store.

He got a quick reply, one that said that they were looking forward to it. Kenma closed the console and put it away.

"All done?"

"Yeah."

* * *

"You're meeting up with applepi on Thursday?" Akaashi questioned, bending down slightly to look at what she was playing on her gaming console, reading her and applepi's conversation.

"Yeah! They're a really good player I haven't played in ages, and they normally play around this time so that's why I have this out right now. Sorry about that." Shiori closed it and put it away, just after applepi logged out. She put it into her bag and sent Akaashi an apologetic smile.

They had stopped by the convenience store after volleyball practice. She was waiting outside while he got some things to eat, and started playing her console because she hadn't played in a while.

"That's the day before our Inter Highs." The setter commented, handing her an icy pole. She thanked him and handed him 200 yen, but he flicked her forehead and told her to put it away because he was treating.

"Yeah, it is." Shiori unwrapped the icy pole, throwing the garbage away into the bin, "But the game comes out then so I need to go pick it up since I pre-ordered it." She added, "So why not meet up with a fellow gamer?"

"You're too carefree about this, Shiori-san." Fukurodani's setter sighed. "What if it was as scam?"

"I was the one who invited them, you know."

Akaashi paused for a moment, then looked ahead. "We'll be finishing earlier that day anyway, so I'll come with you."

"You really don't need to." The third year waved her free hand in dismissal.

"I will be."

Shiori glanced at him when she heard his stern answer. It was in his normal, almost gentle, assertive voice but there was a hint of edge in it.

"Hm…alright then. There is a pervert on the loose, anyway." Shiori realised that that might have been the reason why.

Akaashi opened his own popsicle, throwing the wrapper in the bin.

 _That's not the problem here…_

"So when should we have yakiniku?" Bokuto looked around the group, having finished his lunch earlier than the rest of them.

"Oh yeah, Inter Highs are this Friday, aren't they?" Konoha mouth was half full, having taken food from Shiori's bento.

"Why don't we celebrate it when you guys go to Nationals? Then it'll taste a whole lot better." Shiori suggested, pulling her bento away from Konoha. He was taking too much.

"Oh!" The ace clapped his hands together, "Good idea!"

 _It's only because I need to call Tooru-chan and Iwa-chan about how their Inter Highs are going. I think theirs have already ended? I'm not sure._

 _I also need to pick up that new game I ordered a month or so ago._

"Oh yeah, speaking of nationals, how did the finals go yesterday?" Komi asked, turning to Shiori. He sometimes hung out with them at lunch.

"Oh, that." Shiori took a piece of fish from her bento, "We lost."

"Eh?"

"Yeah. The other team was really, really good. They're the team from Tokyo that's been going to the nationals for like a whole decade, maybe even longer than that. You should've seen them, they had like 5 bullseyes in a row! And not only that, all their members are able to do bullseyes in a short time frame. It was pretty amazing. We lost by quite a number of points." Shiori summarised.

"Ah…that sounds hard." Komi commented.

"Yeah, it was. But it was fun." Shiori smiled. "Now that I'm out of that, I can help you guys more if you need me there."

"That sounds good. Serve to me again today." Komi grinned.

"Mhmm. Just make sure to actually get it this time."

Komi's brows raised into a surprised expression before he let out a light laugh. She was shading him as a means of challenge, "I'll get as many as I can, so bring it!"

Akaashi just watched their exchange, eating at his own pace. He took another onigiri from Shiori's lunch because he'd finished his own. She had put one more aside for him because he ate slower than Yukie and Bokuto, who were always the first to take whatever they wanted.

 _Komi-san is getting better, though,_ Akaashi thought while chewing. _But Shiori-san…_

Now that her archery club practices were over, he could continue with helping her spike. But from the last time that they were practicing, it didn't seem as if Shiori had any sort of thrill that she had when doing a successful spike, or serve, for that matter.

 _She's the opposite of Bokuto-san in that sense,_ the setter still had his nonchalant expression when watching everybody chat.

 _Is it working?_ He wondered. _But it's still too early to know whether or not it is. Spiking has improved, but I wonder if she feels what Bokuto-san does?_

"Keiji, you have a grain of rice here." Shiori tapped her chin, turning to the setter.

He mirrored her action, but the rice wasn't there, so she laughed, "The other side."

He stayed silent as he continued eating after removing the rice.

 _I guess we should try for a little longer._

* * *

 **MiracleBoy: DID YOU SEE HER?**

 **FlyHigh: Why don't you just fly down to Tokyo and find her if you want to meet her so bad?**

Shiori let out a sigh. After practicing with Akaashi before dinner, they were walking home.

"Is that Kuroo-san again?" The setter questioned, curiosity getting the best of him. He had seen her text on a frequent basis, and he just assumed it was Kuroo, even though she did it a bit before he got her number.

"Nah, it's this person called 'MiracleBoy'. We talk about our favourite anime and manga, but somehow it's led to talking about volleyball." She scrolled through her messages with him, going to the point where they started talking about volleyball. She gave her phone to Akaashi, "Take a look."

Akaashi didn't hesitate to take the phone to read the messages—if it was someone else he'd hesitate, but because he knew that Shiori wanted him to read them, he didn't hold back. In a sense, it was easy being her friend, because she was so straightforward, and didn't really have an ulterior motive.

He scrolled through the messages, skimming through and reading their conversation. He raised a brow when he got to the part where MiracleBoy started fangirling about Shiori, unknowingly talking to her about her.

"He doesn't know that he's talking to you?" Akaashi handed her back her phone.

Shiori nodded, "He doesn't know. Well, you know I didn't tell him, but I also don't know what to say? So I just left it at that."

"I guess that's a smart move." Akaashi would've lectured her about the internet being unsafe, but she probably already knew that, so he didn't want to say anything.

"I'll probably meet him when I go to the Shiratorizawa camp though." She said, slipping the phone into her pocket. "You know, mum was able to convince the coach there to let me. So I'll just be popping in for a little bit. I might see this guy there, but I don't know what he looks like so maybe not."

"I didn't know you knew the ace of Shiratorizawa." Akaashi commented, recalling that they talked about Ushijima having a selfie of himself and Shiori as his phone background for a few years. He felt a light twinge of jealousy, but reasoned that he had nothing to do with it, even if it irritated him.

"Oh, yeah, I do. We met a lot during games, because the girl's games would finish a lot quicker than the guy's, so I'd go over to support the boy's team whenever I had free time. I saw Ushijima a lot, so we became acquaintance like friends of some sort." Shiori explained. "He's a nice guy."

"Is that so…" The 2nd year could only nod slowly once.

Did he have anything to worry about when she goes on her trip back to Miyagi? Kind of, but now, maybe a little more.

He knew that she had a lot of friends here and there of both genders and that she's friendly with them all, but he didn't know if they harboured feelings towards her and if they would make a move.

"Is there a reason why you chose Shiratorizawa?" Akaashi asked, glancing at her.

"Hm? You mean for the training camp?" She turned a slight angle to face him. He nodded. "Well, I chose it because it was a school I knew was good at volleyball. Plus, I have connections within that school so it was easy. Like I said before, I would've liked to go to Niiyama Joshi as well, since they're really good, but because I don't have connections there, I can't."

"Is it because they're a powerhouse school that you chose them?"

"Yeah. They're strong, and I want to go against strong players. There's nothing better than trying to beat someone on your own level."

 _On your own level? Is she talking about serving?_ Akaashi thought.

"Well, I'm not really sure actually." She added after a moment of thought. "Serves I'm probably all good to go, but everything else is meh."

"What do you mean by _someone on your own level_? Do you mean skill wise?" The setter probed.

Shiori shook her head, "Nah, I'm talking about same year level. Well, just some of them anyway. I heard that they had a really powerful pinch server who was originally a setter. I think his name was, uh, Semi Eita? I don't know. I want to see that serve up close. Same with Ushijima's. They've got strong serves."

"Are you going to improve your serve?" He asked. He noted that she took care to take down details about people she was interested in, especially when their skills are something she was intrigued with.

"Probably." She laughed lightly. "Well, you're helping me so much to improve, so I guess so, even if it's spiking. But for serves, yeah, I want to make them stronger. I think you might've already heard that a lot from me, but that's what I want to do." She added with a giggle, "You should totally teach me how to set better, too."

"If you serve any harder I don't think Komi-san would be able to get them easier." Akaashi deadpanned. He didn't respond to her comment about teaching her how to set. That would come later.

Shiori grinned, "He'll get there. I'll make sure of it."

 _So she does want to climb back to the top. With a strong serve like now, it's still one of the best; does she intend to become an unreachable #1?_ He wondered.

"Thanks for helping out the team."

"Hm? You're the one who dragged me there to help out; they should be thanking you."

"But you're the one helping them, Shiori-san."

"…eh, I guess so. But I haven't done much. I wish I could help out more."

"You've helped out enough." The setter sighed.

"I want to help out more. It's my last year here too, so I won't be able to help out the younger members. I want to show them that they can be really good at volleyball, too."

Akaashi thought for a moment, "You can come to the training camps and help them out after the day program." He suggested.

"You mean the training camps that you guys always have with Nekoma and the other 2 schools?" Shiori questioned. He nodded. She raised a brow, "But they're for you guys to play amongst yourselves, right? I feel like I'd be completely out of place because I'll be the only girl playing that isn't on an actual team or anything."

"Isn't that what you're doing already?" Akaashi's words were like a steel sword through her, because they were absolutely true, so her words became void.

"Urgh..." She grunted.

"You can join us after hours."

"That sounds naughty." She laughed. "It feels like I'm a kid staying up until 1am even though the curfew is 9pm."

Akaashi looked at her funny, he definitely expected that kind of explanation, but hearing her say the first part was just weird, especially if it was alone with a guy.

"What? Did I say something weird?" She looked at him, blinking a couple of times. She waved a hand on front of his face, "Earth to Keiji!"

"I've landed back on earth." He humoured her.

"And we've arrived at my home." She stopped in her steps, "It's late, so join us for dinner!" She offered, opening the gates.

"Sorry, I can't this time. I have some things that I have to finish off." He shook his head gently in refusal.

"Eh, really? Good luck with that, then. I'll miss having your company." She patted him on the shoulder, then went in for a hug, smiling into his shoulder. "You're like a comfy pillow." She mumbled into his jersey.

Akaashi looked down to her. Did he hear right? He didn't think he was hearing things, but it left him a little dumbfounded when he hugged her back.

"Get home safely, okay?" She pulled away and smiled warmly at him, then waved and went inside.

Akaashi waved, seeing her look back and smile before going in.

He walked home, his hands shoved into his pocket as he walked slowly back. It was true that he had some things to finish that night, and he didn't want to stay up any later than he did because it was getting close to Inter Highs.

His thoughts wandered back to when he suggested for her to come by and help out at the training camp. He was sure that the training camps would be a little later on in the summer holidays, so she would probably be able to make it after she comes back from Miyagi.

If he were to be honest with himself, he wanted to see her on the summer holidays because it was fun having her around, even if it didn't seem like he did.

 _Ah, she said something about a lot of people knowing who she was in Miyagi,_ he remembered MiracleBoy's conversation with her, _there might be a lot of talk about this later, especially in the forums,_ he realised.

 _If she went to the training camp with us, and Karasuno, the former powerhouse school Nekoma had some trouble with, I wonder if that'll be beneficial or not?_ He wondered.

 _Speaking of teams and training camps, she mentioned something about not being on the team...hm, I wonder if it's because of her former middle school team that made her not enjoy competitive volleyball anymore? Probably so; maybe._

He just kept thinking, until he hit his doorstep.

His mother greeted him with a smile, "Welcome home, Keiji."

"I'm home."

"You're not with Shiori-chan today?" She asked.

"I have some stuff to do, so I declined." He took off his shoes and put on some slippers, starting to go up the stairs.

His mother made a thoughtful noise, then set her mind on it. "Keiji! Why don't you invite her over sometime?"

The setter stopped his step, looking to his mother with a surprised expression. "But—"

"If you're uncomfortable with just bringing her along, invite her brother and father, too." His mum suggested.

"…Shiori-san will be just fine." He continued upstairs, going into his room to change for dinner.

His mother was treating her like she was like every other good friend of his, but the contradiction is that bringing a girl home to a guy's house is a little black and white, especially when she wasn't even his girlfriend.

 _If word got around it would be quite troublesome for her,_ he changed into something comfortable, the thought of Kuroo, and Ushijima in his mind, _but, it could also serve as a reminder to others._

 _That she's closer to me than she is them._


	22. raison 21

égoïste

raison #21

* * *

 _ **You're like a comfy pillow.**_

Akaashi's eyes opened and he stared at the darkened ceiling, annoyed at himself that he was awake, late at night, because of just a single thought.

 _Shiori-san, why?_

He wanted to heavily sigh. She was always like this, so he knew it wasn't intentional. It didn't make him special, he knew, but because he had these feelings he didn't know the limit of, he didn't know. He couldn't really act on them because he was fine just by staying by her side (also because he knew she wouldn't feel the same way).

Except, he was afraid that somebody else would come and take her away, though he knew that that would be an incredibly rare, and quite a near impossible task, since it was Shiori he was talking about.

But the thought still plagued his mind, because the world was unpredictable yet very predictable, and he didn't know which route it would take until it was too late.

 _Apart from being your favourite kouhai and friend_ , _what am I to you?_

He found himself thinking, easily falling into the thought, because he wanted to know whether he would have any chance at all.

 _ **Someone who blackmailed me into playing volleyball to help the team.**_

He wasn't sure if it was his consciousness talking, but he swore her voice was in his head, just interrupting his thoughts to give her own.

He let out a sigh, a smile dancing on his lips. If she had answered his unasked question, he knew that her answer would be an unconventional one.

* * *

 _What did I just say to him? That he was a comfy pillow?_ Shiori was dwelling on what happened just earlier, just after Akaashi left after walking her home.

Arata walked out of his room and to the kitchen, where he spotted his sister crouching down on the ground, hugging her knees, staring at the ground intently.

"Uh, Ricchan, what are you doing? You're in the way." Arata manoeuvred around her with a pot of pasta, placing it on the middle of the table, the mat under it.

She abruptly stood up and headed to the kitchen to help set up the table, silent the whole time.

"Oi, you're kinda creeping me out. Why are you so silent?" The older Maebara sat down, getting himself some food.

"Hmm…" Shiori let out a long hum, "If a girl said to you, ' _you're like a comfy pillow',_ what would your reaction be?"

"Huh? You're like a comfy pillow?" He paused for a moment, then sweat dropped, "Don't tell me someone said that to you, or you said that to someone else, though I think it's the latter."

Shiori laughed nervously, getting herself a bowl of pasta after sitting down.

"I said that to someone."

"Thought so. To Bokuto, Akaashi or Konoha?"

"I feel like you're too smart and analysing. Please become stupider."

Arata let out a light laugh, "It just comes to narrowing things down. So, who was it?"

"Akaashi."

"Eh?" His brows rose as he looked over to her in surprise. "Knowing you, it's probably just something you'd say. But if I heard something like that from a person like you, I probably wouldn't think too much of it." He gave a logical answer.

"But it's the truth, don't give me that look! He's a comfy person to hug, if that makes any sense. Same with Bokuto! But Bokuto's probably more comfy because he's more built, but stronger too, so I kind of suffocate slowly." She paused, nodding slowly, "Hm, I see. So then, I shouldn't worry too much about it either, then."

"Are you sure you're not just feeling people up?" He stifled a laugh.

"Hey! It's just an innocent statement!"

"Yeah, it totally is."

"I'm home! What's this about an innocent statement?" Maebara Yusei walked through the door, having come back from work. He walked in and greeted his children, giving them each a hug and a kiss on the head (even if they were old enough to not receive them anymore, he loved to spoil them like this).

"Uh…" Shiori started.

"She keeps comparing hugs from guys to pillows." Arata summarised, filling his bowl with pasta.

Yusei became quiet, his brows raising as he took his tie off, putting his blazer on the back of the chair, a stiff smile on his face as he looked at his daughter. "And who might these boys be?"

"They're my friends from school. They've got nice hugs, just like you and Arata!" Shiori beamed.

 _I know she's not innocent but she's sure got an incredibly innocent way of saying things…she rarely says things that mean the other way on purpose,_ Arata thought with a light chuckle. _She says it as it is. Well, most of the time anyway._

"Oh, is that so?" Yusei reverted back to his normal mode as he went to the bedroom to change. Once he came back, he joined them for dinner.

"So, who's the better hugger?" The oldest Maebara smiled at his youngest child.

"Yeah, who's better?" Arata grinned, leaning in closer to Shiori as she stared at the two of them with a nonchalant look.

"Mum is."

"She wasn't even part of the selection, Shiori. Pick again."

"Myself."

"Not you!"

"Mum and me."

"You—!"

* * *

After dinner and the heated debate about whose hugs were the best, Shiori was finally free when she didn't budge on her stance.

 _Finally, that took ages._ She sighed lightly, finishing off the dishes. Once she did, she headed to her room to try and complete some work, but got distracted by her phone.

 **MiracleBoy: We got through to the nationals! It makes me sad that I can't go because of volleyball training**

Shiori nodded with a light, 'Ah…', realising that Shiratorizawa had definitely won their ticket to nationals.

 _That means they really did beat Seijoh._

 **FlyHigh: Wow! Good job! I hope I can see you guys when we hit nationals too.**

 **MiracleBoy: Let's meet upppppppp! Over the summer holidayssss! You said you were coming back to Miyagi, right? Let's play together!**

 **FlyHigh: It depends on my schedule for that time. I do have a lot of things I'm going to have to do, so chill out~ hopefully I can make time for it.**

 **MiracleBoy: Make sure to tell me about Shiori as well!**

Shiori just stared at the message, blinking once.

 **FlyHigh: Um, I'll try?**

 **MiracleBoy: Yay! :D**

The younger Maebara sighed lightly; that guy was seriously really excited to hear more. She didn't know if it was really good or not that he was so excited like that, but it seemed to work in her favour.

 _Plus, he's updating me on what's happening on the forums even if I didn't ask for it, which is a good thing, I guess,_ Shiori reasoned.

She went through her contacts and called Iwaizumi Hajime, her childhood friend, putting the call on loudspeaker. She decided to call the wing spiker first because she was worried Oikawa was going to blow his fuse when she asked, considering he wanted to defeat Shiratorizawa with a passion.

 _Yeah, it's a good thing I didn't call him first,_ Shiori nodded to herself, waiting for Iwa-chan to pick up.

" **Hey, Shiori."** Iwa-chan's familiar voice spoke through to her from the speaker.

"Iwa-chan!"

" **So, what's up? How were your archery finals?"**

"They were good, even if we lost. How are you since I lasted talked to you?"

" **Good, thanks. You too?"**

"Yup! How were your Inter Highs?" She already knew the answer, but asked anyway. It was a good way to deduce how Iwa-chan was feeling about the match. If he was frustrated with it, then Oikawa would be more so. Iwaizumi was normally the more level headed one.

" **We lost to Shiratorizawa again."** There was a sigh in his voice. **"The scores were close though."**

"Hmm, I see. Maybe try for the Spring Tournament?" Shiori played with a pen, flicking it through her fingers in a roundabout motion.

" **Yeah, I'm going to stay till then."**

"Oh yeah, most third years would retire, wouldn't they?"

" **Yeah. But we're all staying."**

"Ah, sweet." She paused, "How's Tooru?"

" **He's fine. You can call him now if you want. He should be home by now."**

"Hmm, okay then. I'll call him later. I want to talk to you~!"

" **Hah? Okay."**

"You haven't told me about your team yet. Like, I don't know much about them, except that there are two other 3rd years."

" **Oh yeah…** _ **that.**_ **"**

"What's that supposed to mean? Aren't you guys going to introduce me when I come back?"

He cleared his throat, **"Actually, we weren't planning to…"** His words were mumbled but she got them all.

"Hey! That's no fair! I want to go meet everyone too!"

Iwa-chan was silent for a moment, unsure of what to say. Finally, he sighed. **"Fine."**

"Thanks, Iwa-chan!"

" **Okay, so I'm just going to give names and positions."**

"Sure thing."

" **So you know that Oikawa is a setter and I'm a wing spiker. The other two third years are Matsukawa, middle blocker, and Hanamaki, wing spiker. Our libero's 2** **nd** **year Watari. Kindaichi, a first year, is a middle blocker. That makes our regular line up. We also have Kunimi, first year wing spiker, Kyoutani, 2** **nd** **year wing spiker who never shows up, and Yahaba, 2** **nd** **year setter that's set to be captain next year."**

"I'd like to meet them. Maybe I should just pop up uninvited to Seijoh during the break? Wouldn't that be fun?"

" **Yeah,** _ **don't**_ **."**

"Huh?! Why not?"

"… **just don't."**

"I feel like you're not telling me something!"

" **I'll tell you later."**

"Fine, fine."

" **Anyway, what about you? What's been going on so far? Oikawa said you were helping out Fukurodani."**

"Yeah, I am. I'm helping them out with serves and stuff."

" **So the girls' team is no match for you, huh."**

"No, it's not that. I was asked to help the boys' team. I haven't been asked by the girls' team…actually, I don't even know if there is a girls' team."

" **Oh, okay. How does helping out the team work? You're not in a club, right?"**

"Yeah, I'm not. But it's okay, I help them during my breaks. It's fun."

" **Sounds like it. You sound like you're having more fun than you were here."**

"What's that supposed to mean? I have fun there too."

" **Mmm…"** The male teen hummed in response, **"Go talk to Oikawa. He's waiting for you to call."**

"How do you even know that?"

" **He's watching me talking to you through his window."**

"Pfft! Does he always do this when you're on the phone?"

" **Sometimes. He knew that you'd call, but he wanted to be called first. He's just watching now. Ah, he's writing something."** Iwa-chan went silent for a moment, **"Hah? Talk…to me too?"**

"Is he writing something on a piece of paper and sticking it to the window?"

" **Yeah. He wants you to talk to him too."**

"Alright, then. I guess I'll call him now, then. It was nice hearing your voice again. Talk to you soon."

" **Take care, Shiori."**

She hung up and let out a light laugh, imagining Oikawa doing just that.

 _Oh yeah, Tooru and Hajime live next to each other, that's why it works._ Shiori realised. She went through her contacts and called Oikawa, waiting for it to dial and for him to pick up. With only one dial, the setter picked up.

" **RICCHAN!"**

"It's a good thing I've got this on loudspeaker, Tooru-chan. But hello to you too."

" **Why did you call Iwa-chan first?!"**

"Because I want someone level headed to talk to first."

" **Don't lie to me! You like Iwa-chan more than me!"**

"I like both of you two equally."

" **Aw, you're too sweet, Ricchan!"**

 _Well, that was easy,_ Shiori stared at the phone, shaking her head with a smile. "So, how were your Inter Highs?"

" **We lost to Shiratorizawa."** Shiori could imagine Tooru frowning on the other side.

"How do you feel about that?"

" **We're beating them in the Spring Tournament."**

"I heard from Iwa-chan that you guys were all staying on the team until then."

" **Yeah, we are."** He then let out a light gasp. **"Oh! Ricchan, did I tell you about going against Karasuno?"**

"Eh? Against Karasuno?" Shiori raised a brow, recalling that Kuroo had told her that his team had a tough time against their first year godlike quick combo.

 _I didn't know Seijoh went against them too._

"I never knew you guys went up against them too."

" **Actually, I didn't really do much the first time. It was when I hurt my ankle, remember?"**

"Oh, that time? Was there a match then?"

" **Yeah, a practice one. I subbed in near the end as a pinch server, and that quick they had was pretty intense."**

"And then? It wasn't just a practice match you went up against them in, was it? Did you face them prior to Shiratorizawa?"

" **Yeah. We played full sets to the 30s."**

"What?! Full sets to the 30s?! Did you guys have that much trouble with them?!"

" **Yeah, they're good. But we were better."**

"You sound like a stuck up loser now."

" **Hey! That's mean!"**

"But it's true."

Oikawa sighed, **"As blunt as ever, Ricchan. Oh, I should tell you, I'm going to be training my serves. Want to be on the receiving end?"**

"Oh? Serve training? This is the first time you've ever asked me to receive them. I'm no libero, so I can't receive as good as I'd like to."

" **But you'll do it?"**

"Yeah, sure, why not? I'd like to see your improvements."

" **Now** _ **you**_ **sound stuck up."**

"I never said anything in relation to my own achievements."

" **Tch."**

"That aside, I'd like to see your improved serve."

" **Sure thing, Ricchan!"**

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

There was a grumbling from the other side, making Shiori wonder if he was hungry and hadn't eaten dinner yet.

"What is it? Are you hungry?"

" **No, hm….but, Ushiwaka mentioned you during our match."**

"Huh? Ushi-chan did?"

" _ **Ushi-chan**_ **?! Is that what you call him?!"**

"Yeah? It's either Ushi-chan or Ushijima. I use both. Is there a problem with that?"

" **I thought you used nicknames with people you really like! Not that guy!"**

"I don't mind Ushijima. He's nice."

Oikawa said a few curses, then sighed deeply, **"He asked if you were coming to Miyagi anytime soon."**

"And what did you say? That that wasn't any of his business?"

" **Yeah."**

"And then, let me guess, Ushijima told you that he thought you and I were childhood friends and he thought he'd ask?"

"… **yeah."**

"And then you told him that he didn't need to ask you, and Iwa-chan told him when I was coming?"

"… **yeah. BUT ASIDE FROM THAT! Do you know what he said to me after the game?!"**

"You should have come to Shiratorizawa."

" **NO, NOT THAT! I MEAN YEAH, BUT, he told me that I should learn to serve better from you!"**

"Oh, is that why you're suddenly wanting to improve your serves?"

" **Prove that little—"**

"Yeah, I think that's a yes. Look, don't worry too much about what he says."

" **But if I don't, I'll—"**

"Tooru."

Oikawa stopped talking.

"Take it easy, okay?" Shiori's tone softened. She was aware of how much a sore loser Oikawa was, but she was even more aware of his insecurities.

"… **are you my mum?"**

"I'll probably have to act like it because you're a big baby."

" **Hey!"**

"I'll see you soon, okay?"

" **Oh, okay."**

"Bye, Tooru-chan."

" **See you."**

She hung up, sighing lightly.

 _So he's doing a lot better than I thought he would. Maybe he already let out all that frustration at practice or something? Come to think of it, Iwa-chan was pretty fine as well._

 _And what's this about Ushijima telling Tooru to learn how to serve better? I don't think Ushi-chan meant it in the meanest way, I think he meant to tell him that he could learn to improve his serve from someone more experienced in serves. Hm…maybe you should've worded it a bit better, Ushi-chan? Actually, either way he would be pissed, there would be no point._

Shiori flipped through her workbook, mindlessly going through the pages of her English notebook until she was at the latest page. She barely looked in the book, but she remembered that there was something due in a couple of days and she hadn't done it yet.

 _What's this?_

She looked at the writing in the middle of the next page after her notes.

 _ **Thank you for lending me your notebook.**_

 _ **-Akaashi**_

She smiled, _he doesn't need to thank me so much._

"Oi, Shiori! It's your turn to shower!" Arata knocked on her door as he passed.

"Okay!"

* * *

"Oh?" Shiori brows rose, "Really? Your mum wants to invite me to have dinner at yours?"

Akaashi nodded. He was a little nervous to ask, but he knew his mother wouldn't stop bugging him unless he did. So, he decided to do it after Wednesday's practice.

"I don't know when it's going to be yet, so I'll ask mum when I get home." Akaashi rarely came unprepared, but for something like this, he thought it would be best to just inform her ahead of time. For anybody else other than her, he would have to have the full details before proceeding.

"Sure, why not? That sounds fun. Your mum seems really nice." The Maebara grinned.

Akaashi didn't know how she so easily agreed to it. Would she not be awkward?

"I'll tell mum you'll be coming, then. I'll give you the details when I get them."

"Sure, thanks. Oh, it's not going to be when you guys are having your Inter Highs, is it?"

The 2nd year turned to her, "No, I don't think so."

"Yeah, it'd be pretty tiring entertaining guests and being really tired from having to look at matches and stuff from teams that you'll have to beat, at night before bed. And also playing all that volleyball." Shiori nodded knowingly, having done that when she was in middle school. She talked to her team's setter a lot and they'd talk about strategies to go with and stick with when dealing with certain opponents.

"Yeah," Akaashi could only agree, because it was quite true.

"Oh yeah, on a side note, the English notebook." Shiori clapped her hands together lightly.

 _Oh._

"You don't need to thank me every single time, you know. I'm happy to help." She patted him on the shoulder. " _Use every opportunity to learn_ , _but one thanks is enough,_ is what my mum would say."

 _Is one really enough?_ He wondered.

"But I don't think one thanks is enough for things, though. But, I think it depends on the situation. For this one, yeah, I'd say once is enough, don't you think so too? I'm your free English tutor for a reason." She tittered at the title.

"Yeah, one isn't enough."

"Did you want to borrow the notebook again?"

"If that isn't too much trouble…"

"Keiji, if you want to say yes just say yes."

"Yes."

"Okay, I did some extra parts from today's class, so you might want to look over that, too." She pulled her bag in front of her and got out her notebook, handing it to the boy with a smile.

"Thanks." He took it and put it into his bag.

"You're welcome."

* * *

When the setter got home, he got out the notebook and flipped to the latest pages, seeing what kind of content they were covering. It aligned with what he was going to learn in class later on, so he thought he was going to go ahead.

"Hm?" He saw his message to her still there, but she had written there too, right under his.

 _ **I should say thanks to you, too. So, thanks, Keiji! What for?**_

 _ **Spiking practice**_

 _ **Your awesome cooking**_

 _ **Stealing my food**_

 _ **Being a great friend and fav kouhai**_

 _ **Allowing me to teach you English**_

 _ **Being you.**_

 _ **-Shiori**_

Akaashi stared at the last one, lips parting, stunned. He stared at it for a while, then his lips curled up into a small smile.

 _I don't think you need to thank somebody for being them, Shiori-san._


	23. raison 22

égoïste

raison #22

* * *

"It's Thursday!" Shiori cheered.

It was early in the morning, just as she was walking to school. It was a nice day to walk, and it had become a lot warmer, too.

 _That's what happens when it's June…summer sure hit a little late, huh,_ she glanced up at the cloudless sky. _Just a little bit._

She was especially in a good mood since her pre-ordered game was coming out that day, and she was going to pick it up and meet with an online friend, too.

 _I wonder what applepi is like? Are they a boy or a girl? Hm, how long did they play, I wonder? They're really good._

She hummed a light tune as she changed her shoes at the shoe locker area, quickly making her way in to put her stuff at her assigned table, then going straight to the gym to check out the volleyball team's morning practice.

"Good morning!" She called loudly into the gym. Her voice echoed off the walls as she announced her arrival.

"Ah, you're here. And early, too." Yukie commented, munching on a snack. She sat on a chair, noting down something while she watched the practices. She smiled at her friend lazily as she went up to her.

"Hey, hey, hey! Shiori, you're here!" Bokuto ran up to her and grinned widely. "Why are you suddenly here so early? You normally don't come check out our morning practices!"

"Good morning, Shiori-san." Akaashi came up from behind Bokuto. Their practice had temporarily stopped because she had made her appearance.

"Hey, fancy seeing you here miss sleepy head." Konoha teased with a grin.

The other members of the team had stopped too, and come up to give their greetings.

"Morning." She beamed at them. "I'm just here because I feel productive enough to check out how you guys are doing for the Inter Highs. It's tomorrow, after all."

"Boys, get back to practice!" The coach called to the team. He stood on the other side and had sighed when they all rushed off to greet the girl.

The Maebara giggled when they returned to what they were doing before.

"I'm just going to stand here and watch, then." Shiori nodded at them and stood beside Yukie and Kaori.

As she watched, she realised that they improved from the last time she paid attention to them properly. And, once again, her eyes were drawn to Bokuto and his spikes.

"Ah, his spiking form is really good." She was amazed every time she watched him play.

It might have been the fact that he was a powerful spiker, but it was something that just mesmerised her, something that she was drawn to. What she saw really evoked a foreign feeling inside her, and she would've liked to feign that she didn't know—but why, she already knew, long ago.

Her brows creased slightly when watching him spike and serve the ball repeatedly, cheering when he got an ace or when he bypassed blockers. It was interesting to watch, how he was so happy after everything that was a success.

 _He must be excited for Inter Highs,_ Shiori rationalised. _He must want to defeat those blockers again._

"Shiori! Didya see that?! My straight!" Bokuto pounced over to the girl, seeking approval for his handiwork just moments before.

"Yeah. I saw. It was very straight." She grinned at him when he cheered, high fiving him when he lifted his arms for one.

When he went back to practice after a scolding from Akaashi, the smile faltered just slightly on her lips, but she forced it to stay curled.

"I'm going to go on ahead, then." She looked to Yukie after a little while of watching.

"Okay, I'll see you there." The manager waved bye to her with a smile when she left.

 _Urgh, what is this?_ Shiori let her smile drop after she turned her back to Yukie. She let her brows knit together as she glared at the ground, standing against the wall outside the gym.

She stayed like that for a few moments, collecting her thoughts, trying to remain calm.

Finally, a heavy sigh left her lips.

 _I'm fine._

* * *

"It really did end a lot earlier." Shiori commented, doing a light stretch before getting her bag and throwing it over her shoulders.

"We do have Inter Highs tomorrow, after all." Yukie laughed as Shiori put her bag on awkwardly. "You're putting it the wrong way." She went over to help her.

"Thanks, Yuki." Shiori sighed lightly and redid her ponytail. "Alright, I'll go first, okay? Make sure you get lots of rest before the games tomorrow."

"I'm not playing, though."

"Watching is just as tiring as playing, you know."

"Ok, ok, Ricchan."

* * *

"Who do you think this applepi person will be?" Shiori asked Akaashi, the one who accompanied her to the game store.

"I don't know. It could be anyone." The setter replied.

 _Worse off, it could be the pervert that's still on the loose,_ he thought.

"Hm, really? Well, as long as I get to talk about the new games and other games I've played with them, it's fine, right?" Shiori then paused, "Wait, no, that's just the ideal. I mean, as long as they're not a shady person it should be fine."

 _Ah, so she does have an awareness of these things,_ the 2nd year noted. _I keep forgetting about that; she's so carefree._

"Wouldn't it be funny if it was someone I knew?" Shiori went on, "That would be pretty cool!"

"That would be better than just a stranger."

"I know right? Ah, we're here."

Akaashi looked to the building. The game store was near Fukurodani, but it was more towards the city, and thus was in a bigger building that held other stores as well.

"Oh, it says here that there are restaurants upstairs!" The girl checked the levels guide on the side of the store, where there were a set of stairs that led up.

"Yeah, this building has a few different stores in it." Akaashi came up next to her, looking at the directory.

"Oya? I thought I heard familiar voices."

"Kuroo-san?" Akaashi was the first to turn around, seeing the bed head captain of Nekoma. He then spotted the smaller setter, "Kenma." He wasn't on his console.

"Eh, fancy meeting you guys here." Shiori grinned at them when she turned around.

"Oya! You're with Shiori, huh?' Kuroo sent a smirk towards Akaashi, who didn't like the look and didn't respond.

"Yeah. He's accompanying me today." The female wing spiker grinned at the setter. "He's good company." She turned to Kuroo, "So, why are you guys here? Also, hello to you guys."

"Well, I'm with Kenma today because he's meeting up with someone." Kuroo explained.

"Oh, really? Me too. We're supposed to be meeting here to get our pre-ordered games." She let an 'o' form on her lips.

Kenma looked up, staring straight at the girl with his cat like eyes, "Same with us…"

"Oh, really?" Shiori let out a surprised sound.

"Ah." After a moment, all 4 of them realised at the same time.

"Are you applepi?"

"Are you FlyHigh?"

Kenma and Shiori spoke simultaneously, so when they spoke each other's online gaming usernames, Shiori burst out into a light laughter and Kenma had a somewhat shocked expression.

Kuroo and Akaashi's brows raised slightly. It was quite a surprise to find out that they were each other's gaming buddies, and more so that they knew each other beforehand.

 _Huh, what a coincidence,_ the captain and vice-captain thought in unison.

"What, I can't believe you're applepi! I didn't know that it was going to be you!" Shiori grinned at Kenma, who shyly nodded, averting his eyes, but then sneaking glances.

He didn't know how to deal with her; she reminded him of Hinata Shouyo from Karasuno, but only with how optimistic they were.

"I didn't know you'd be FlyHigh, either…" Kenma mumbled, nodding once.

 _He's a lot shyer than I thought he'd be,_ Shiori noted. _Well, no matter._

"Well, let's go pick up our games then, shall we?" The girl turned on her heel to go inside first, leaving the 3 outside to follow her slowly, loitering outside for a few more seconds than necessary.

"Is she always like this?" Kenma looked to Akaashi, a little unsure, who nodded.

"Don't worry too much about it, this is how she is."

"I told you she played games." Kuroo snickered, giving the pudding head one of his cheeky smirks.

Kenma had no reply to that, so he followed after the girl to get his pre-ordered game.

"This is going to be an exciting game, don't you think so?" The girl was just a few centimetres shorter than the setter, but her personality was a bit overwhelming that it surprised him that it could be contained in such a smaller body.

 _If she were a game character she'd be one of the bosses…_ Kenma took a small shuffle back to Kuroo when he got his game, because it felt strange to him that such a bright ball of energy was near him. It was different from Hinata.

Akaashi raised a slight brow, noticing how Kenma behaved.

"Kenma, Kenma, let's play!" Shiori grinned and started opening it as they walked out, quickly getting out her console so that she could insert the game.

"Now?" The shortest male questioned with an incline.

Shiori nodded, "If we were going to meet up just to get this game, we might as well play it together. But first, convenience store!"

"Uh…okay…" Kenma followed behind the energetic female, opening up the game while waiting outside the mart for the 3 of them.

"What flavour do you want, Shiori-san?" Akaashi questioned, pointing to the ice creams and icy poles.

Shiori went over to the setter, holding some random snacks among other things. "Uh, I don't really mind." She looked over them. "Choose one out for me, Keiji!"

"Woah, you guys are on first name basis already?" Kuroo let out a low whistle, passing by them. He had already gotten what he wanted, "I'll be outside."

Akaashi wondered if that was Kuroo's way of teasing him. It didn't matter too much to him that Shiori used his first name, but since they were in Japan, it might cause some misunderstanding if others listened in.

 _Well, whatever._

The tall volleyball player picked out blueberry for his crush, and lemon for himself. Shiori was already paying for her stuff, and shoved everything in her bag when she was done.

"Oh! Blueberry!" Shiori's eyes twinkled at the sight of the treat, "I've never had that before!"

"It's quite delicious." The setter handed it to her after he paid for it. "Here."

"Thank you!" She sang lightly, taking it. She opened it with glee, happily eating it as she went outside. "Ooh! It really is quite nice."

Akaashi just nodded, opening his own to have some.

"Is there a reason why you call Akaashi by his first name?" Kuroo questioned, in reference to his teasing earlier. He glanced at both Fukurodani students.

"Hm? Why? Well, Akaashi is Keiji, and Keiji is Akaashi. Does it really matter if I call him by first or last name? I call most people by first names anyway, unless I like the sound of their surname." Shiori answered. "But still, I call people by whatever they want me to call them, or what they allow me to call them." She added after a moment with a snicker, "Did you want me to call you Tetsu?"

Kuroo blinked, his thin brows going up. That was unexpected. He felt a little embarrassed that someone was calling him by a nickname that wasn't someone incredibly close to him.

Akaashi glanced at the shorter girl, then to Kenma, who he found was watching the girl. When he caught him, the smaller one looked away quickly, prompting the dark haired setter to raise his brow just ever so slightly.

"Well, if you don't like it, then I won't call you that. I'll just stick to Kuroo, then." Shiori shrugged.

"Either is fine." Kuroo rubbed his neck, "I don't really care either way."

"Mhmm, okay then." Shiori finished half her snack. "Mm, this is yummy."

"Shiori, what level are you?" Kenma asked. He wanted to talk about games, but at the same time he didn't know how to approach it. Especially with someone like Shiori.

Akaashi eyed the teen. Normally Kenma would be blunter about it but he guessed that he was still uncomfortable around someone like Shiori.

 _Well, we'll give it some time._

"Uh…I think I'm G2 or G3. What about you?" She asked.

"Same."

"Ooh! That's great!" She gasped in realisation, "Oh! You know what we can do? We can do quests together! Rather than just playing on RPG wouldn't it be fun to complete quests as well? Like, we're starting at the same time for this new game as well, so—"

"Hold up, you're talking way too fast." Kuroo laughed.

"Oh, am I?" The girl stopped mid-sentence, letting out a light laugh.

"Yeah. Let's play together." Kenma nodded once. He was a little shy with having to play with someone he didn't really know, but he thought that he'd give it a try. After all, she didn't seem like a bad person. Just…a bit strong personality wise.

"Yeah, I'll be looking forward to it!"

* * *

"Well, at least it wasn't a random person." Shiori mused, stretching out her arms.

"Yeah. Better that it wasn't." The setter nodded and glanced over to her. "How long did you know applepi online for?"

"Well, I think I only met him what, like last year or something? He didn't really appear too much at first, but then I saw more of him until we just became online gaming buds."

"You play that game a lot."

"I know…I was levelling up! It took me a really long time to get where I am now!"

"How do you even have time to play among other things? Aren't you quite busy?" Akaashi wondered.

"Hm? Me? Uh…how do I put this…I can cram really well and it doesn't take too long to do things?" She tilted her head slightly. "Sometimes I just don't do anything at all. But I could say the same about you, you've got a lot on your plate as well."

"Don't you have to get ready for entrance exams?" He ignored the latter part of her sentence.

"Oh, not really. That's only if I want to do something that's not really design related. Did I tell you, or did the others tell you? I don't remember."

"Ah, it's folio work, isn't it?"

"Yeah, that's right. I think there might be some written components but there probably won't be an exam on it. So I'm kinda in the clear for now. I might take some for other courses as backup, though."

"What kind?"

"Maybe like teaching or something."

"Teaching?"

"Yeah. But _maybe._ Maybe teach how to draw or something, or even become a coach in volleyball. That would be pretty fun."

"You'd be more suited to be a volleyball coach."

"Maybe. I'll see what happens."

"What if you become professional instead?"

Shiori was about to reply, but his question caught her off guard. She turned to him, "That's…" She found it hard to answer.

"Aren't you working towards that goal now?"

"It's not that I'm not, but…wouldn't it be hard to get back on track to becoming a professional when I've been gone for so long?"

"For some people, maybe. But you've got the skills to go into it." He paused, "Even if it's only as a pinch server."

That earned him a light smack on the arm.

"HEY! Are you insulting my skill level?!" She frowned and narrowed her eyes at him, pouting. She sighed and rubbed the area that she hit, "Sorry."

"No, you could become a regular. But you're underestimating yourself, Shiori-san." Akaashi's tone had become serious.

Shiori made an unsure sound, staring at the ground as she walked forward. "Am I, though?"

Of course she wanted to have a job that was also volleyball related because she loved it so much, but there were some circumstances that she'd rather avoid that came with it.

 _I'm not Tooru-chan or Ushi-chan, so I don't know._

"Kuroo, yeah, he sent me some details on upcoming competitions and stuff that I can try out for." Shiori remembered. She didn't know if Akaashi knew yet.

"Are you going to try?" He sent a curious look her way.

"Hm, probably. Maybe after I come back from Miyagi."

"I see."

They made light conversation for a few minutes until they hit the street that Shiori's house was on.

"Hm?" The girl raised an eyebrow when she saw something in front of them, but then blinked when it wasn't there anymore. She had stopped in her steps, prompting her walk mate to stop too.

"Shiori-san?" He questioned, turning around to look at her. He didn't get a quick answer, so he followed her gaze, lingering on the street they were about to turn from.

There was nothing there.

"Is something wrong?" He asked.

"…no, I think it might have just been a cat or something." Her eyes remained on the spot longer than usual, then she went ahead to follow after her friend.

Akaashi glanced back at the area and then at Shiori.

 _Did she see something there?_ He got cautious. He wasn't sure if he was right, but the thought he had was enough to make him wonder if it was what he thought it was.

"Keiji-kun, come on." Shiori took a step forward.

"Hai, hai…"

"There really was nothing there, don't worry about it." The girl added, "Also, are you ready for tomorrow?"

"You mean for the Inter Highs?"

"Yeah. How are you feeling for that day? Excited? Nervous?"

"Neither."

"Eh, really? What about the others, then? I bet they're excited!"

"I guess so. Bokuto-san is."

"Of course he is," She laughed lightly, imagining the ace just jumping around and smashing volleyballs here and there. "He's overly excitable for everything. I hope he just doesn't go into one of his modes in game, though."

"I hope not. That'll be a big pain."

"Yeah? You've had to deal with him in those modes quite a bit, didn't you?" She chuckled gently.

"Yeah. He just becomes that way for the most random of reasons. Usually we're alright, so it's okay."

"His modes certainly seem like that. How do you manage to drag him out of them every time?" Shiori was curious. Everything that he did, always worked.

"Tactics. It depends on what makes him that way."

"Woah. Sounds like you have it hard, eh. Well, good luck! Let's hope that Kou doesn't go emo anytime soon!"

"I hope not."

* * *

"Well, that was early."

"That's…early…"

"What, already?"

Yukie stared at Bokuto on the court; he was doing well up until then, but she didn't know why he was sulking now. The reason could be anything.

 _Should we have gone with another plan?_ She wondered, eyes glazing over to the vice-captain.

"I should've had that yakisoba bread earlier…" Bokuto clenched his hands into fists, his expression contorted to one that was a mix of annoyance, anger and grimace.

 _Yakisoba bread?_ Akaashi's eyes went a little wide, remembering that Bokuto was deciding whether or not to eat the 2nd yakisoba bread he got before the game.

 _Oh my. That was definitely early._ Yukie watched as Akaashi just ignored the ace, her eyes setting on Bokuto and how much he was fidgeting.

 _It's only the 1_ _st_ _match of the day, and he's already like this…_

* * *

 **Maebara Shiori: How were your Inter Highs?**

Kuroo's lips parted as he stared at the text with awe.

Shiori had texted him first for the first time. He could definitely explain how he felt in words.

"Happy, overjoyed; she's actually nice?!"

"Kuroo, what are you trying to say?" Kenma glanced over at him for a moment, a little weirded out, then resumed from drinking out of his bottle.

"Shiori contacted me first, asking how our Inter Highs were." The captain of Nekoma explained.

"We haven't even had our second match yet…" Kenma made a tired face.

"What? Shiori? The girl from Fukurodani? How'd you get her number?" Yaku overheard their conversation and headed into their direction, drink bottle in hand, curious.

He remembered that Kuroo mentioned giving her all their numbers, but she never got back to them. It was the first time he'd heard that Kuroo got her contact details.

"Ah, I actually asked one of the managers." The captain grinned cheekily.

"That's not really fair." Yaku's brows creased slightly, but then drunk some from his bottle.

They had just finished up a game 10 minutes ago, so they were getting ready for their next opponents to finish up.

"That's totally fair, isn't it?" Kuroo smiled like an angel, but the libero made a face.

"No, that's just cheating." Yaku muttered.

"Hey, how's that cheating?"

"If you don't ask her upfront, then it is."

"But if there are other ways to get it, it's fine, right?"

"If you don't take it head on and take a shortcut instead, that's not exactly cheating, but taking a detour. You took the easy way out." Kenma intervened, standing up and walking past them.

"Urk…" The bed head realised his childhood friend took Yaku's side. "I did tell her to talk to you all, too."

Yaku raised a brow, but didn't care too much. He didn't know much about her so he just left it at that.

"So are you going to reply or not?" The libero questioned, gesturing towards his phone.

"Yeah, I guess."

 **Kuroo to Shiori: We just finished our 1** **st** **match. Waiting for 2** **nd** **match.**

 **Shiori: That's great. Good job on winning your first match!**

"She's actually really nice, huh." Kuroo was confused; was she nice or was she blunt, or was she both? He was preparing himself for one of her one-liners that kill the conversation.

"What, you think she was mean?" Yaku asked.

"You're still here?" The captain raised a brow at his former middle school opponent.

An irk mark formed on Yaku's forehead as he glared at the captain.

* * *

 _I wonder how Fukurodani is doing._ Shiori tapped her pen against her desk, in the middle of class. Her closest friends weren't there because they were out for their Inter Highs, so she was by herself.

She resorted to texting them to see how they were going, deciding to text Nekoma as well, apart from those who she already frequently texted.

When lunch came, she expected Bokuto and Yukie to come and bother her for her lunch, with Konoha and Akaashi joining them afterwards; but then she remembered that they weren't there.

She could hang out with others she was friends with and on good terms with during this time, but she couldn't just up and hang out with them. She wasn't part of their group. It would seem strange.

So, she stayed by herself.

She stared at her lunch, finding that she indeed did make a lot less than she did have before because she knew that they wouldn't be there.

 _It's…quite empty, isn't it?_


	24. raison 23

égoïste

raison #23

* * *

"You're playing, _again_?" Kuroo glanced over Kenma's shoulder. They had just completed their 2 games for the day, and they won both. They were now doing their stretches and resting up a little before heading back.

"Yeah. Shiori's on, so I'm playing with her." Kenma responded, clicking the buttons quickly. They were currently battling a monster in the game they picked up yesterday.

"I'm surprised she's not here." The bed head captain glanced down at the current game that had overtaken the court they were previously on. Fukurodani was playing.

"She said that she can't just skip class." Kenma replied to his comment. "I asked her about it too."

"Eh, Kenma, you're really taking the initiative, aren't you?" Kuroo sent a smirk at him.

"No, not really."

"You were."

"Not really."

"You totally were."

"No."

Kuroo sighed. Kenma was like this, and it amused him. He let a small smile form on his face when he watched Fukurodani's match.

 _Wasn't Bokuto depressed earlier?_ Kuroo looked to Bokuto's form. He was spiking as normal, none of his emo modes affecting him. _Hard to believe he was._

"HEY, HEY, HEY!" Bokuto's catchphrase rung through the gym when he made a successful spike. His team cheered with him.

"That guy…taking all the attention for himself." Kuroo muttered with a snort, taking a glance around the stadium. Even other players on the courts were watching the ace.

"Bokuto-senpai is so cool!" Inouka chimed in.

Kuroo didn't even comment on his junior's remark.

* * *

 _Maybe I should visit them tomorrow, or the day after…when they're in the finals?_ Shiori questioned herself, packing up her stuff at the end of the day.

She was too busy thinking that she was oblivious to a few people standing by the door, gulping down their nerves as they wished to ask her to go to karaoke with them. They were some 3rd years from the same year level, but because Yukie and Bokuto were always around her, they found it hard to go up to her and invite her out when she isn't by herself.

 _Who am I kidding, it's already hard enough to go up to her by herself!_ One of them berated themselves for thinking that way.

The other hit him on the arm, "Come on!" He hissed at him.

Shiori stood up after packing her bag, slinging it over her shoulders as she went towards the door. She passed them, still thinking.

"Ah, Shiori-san—"

"HEY HEY HEY! SHIORI!"

Bokuto came sprinting at her having just gone up the stairs, spotting her leaving the classroom.

"Kou?!" Shiori let out a surprised 'woah!' when he threw an arm over and shook her around excitedly.

"Ah…" The few other 3rd years that were going to invite her stopped in their tracks and rubbed their necks, unsure if they should continue.

"Maybe we should go, then…" The other frowned. They had the perfect opportunity, but they lost it so quickly.

"Sorry, Kou, just hold up a moment—" Shiori clamped her hand over his mouth, making him stop talking for a brief moment.

She turned around to the third years she heard call for her. "Yes? You called for me?" She said kindly.

The third years nodded after a moment of being stupefied, "Y-yeah…uhm," One of them hesitated until the other elbowed him, "D-do you want to come karaoke with us?!" He ended up saying really quickly and nervously.

Shiori's brows rose and her lips formed an 'o'. "Oh, after school today?" She questioned.

"Yes!"

"That sounds—"

"I'm sorry, but she already made plans with us today."

The inviters' eyes widened when they heard the new voice, and Bokuto tore away Shiori's hands from his mouth when he heard it. "Akaashi! You're slow!"

"You just ran off by yourself, Bokuto-san." Akaashi sighed lightly. He glanced over at the third years, nodding at them in a way to say sorry.

Shiori had an expression of surprise on her face. Since when did she make plans with them after school that day? She didn't even know they were coming back there.

"Ah…" The third years had to incline their heads slightly to look at the taller 2nd year. They recognised him as the volleyball team setter who Shiori always hung out with. "Is that so? Sorry…we didn't know."

"Uh, it's okay." Shiori quickly adapted to the situation, "Sorry about that. Next time! Have fun at karaoke today!" She sent them a smile.

They nodded and went off, trying to hide the disappointment and light blush that went to their cheeks.

"We made plans today?" Bokuto questioned, as much in the dark as Shiori was.

Akaashi glanced at Shiori, staring at her for a long while with an expressionless face. He felt kind of irritated that he came back to this. It wasn't as if he and Shiori were together, but he knew that there would be some people to take action.

"Is there something on my face?" The girl asked, pointing to her face.

"No, there isn't." He hummed lightly.

"So, what's this about us having plans?" Shiori asked, her hand going on her hip. She waited expectantly for an answer.

Akaashi didn't reply for a moment at first, since he was collecting his thoughts. "I thought we'd practice spiking later."

"Practice spiking? But aren't you tired from today's matches? You should rest!" She scolded him lightly.

"I'll be fine, Shiori-san."

She grunted and shook her head. "Nope! You're getting your rest."

Bokuto let out a laugh from beside them.

"Well, since you've already declared that I'm going to be hanging out with you guys today, let's go." Shiori grabbed them both by the arms and dragged them off with her, ignoring the stares as she led them to the shoe lockers.

"Hey, hey, hey! Shiori, what's up with you today?" Bokuto laughed as he was dragged by her. She wasn't going particularly fast so he could easily keep up with his strides.

She glanced over her shoulder at Bokuto, then at Akaashi, feeling her cheeks heat up at the reason she was being like this. Normally she wouldn't be this enthusiastic about hanging out, so it was a pretty rare thing to see.

The Maebara didn't reply until she went to the lockers, letting go of their arms so she could change her shoes. She didn't really want to say it aloud, so she remained silent.

"Hm? What is it?" Bokuto questioned, quickly going from one place to another so that he was annoying her in both directions.

"…ly." Shiori mumbled something under her breath as she put on her shoes.

"What?" Bokuto leaned in closer so that he was literally in front of her face.

Akaashi took a few steps in and put his hands on his knees so that he could lean down and hear her better.

"I was…ly…" She said again, a little louder.

"You were what?" Bokuto was now crouching down in front of her, his arms crossed on top of his knees.

"I was lonely…" She said a little louder. She had become embarrassed now, and her face and cheeks were red.

The captain and vice-captain's eyes widened at her confession, feeling themselves flattered at her comment.

"Wah! Of course you were! But we're here now, right? Heheh, so you're not alone anymore!" Bokuto grinned widely and stood up as she did.

Shiori only smiled, happiness flooding through her chest at Bokuto's words.

Akaashi nodded in agreement, smiling small. In times like these, Bokuto's words were really impactful because he was just that kind of person.

In a way, he was slightly envious.

"Come, on, let's go get some food! I'm starving!" Bokuto threw an arm around Shiori and dragged her with him, talking about all the food he wanted to eat.

"Are you sure they're not dating?"

"Nah, they're just good friends."

Akaashi's ears perked when he eavesdropped on a conversation of some students nearby. He followed after his captain and friend, passing by those who were gossiping about them.

"They look like they'd make an interesting couple, though."

"Haha, really?"

"Yeah. But are you sure they're definitely, _definitely_ not dating?"

"Yeah, definitely. She even said so herself. Lots of people said so, too."

"Then what about that guy I saw her with the other day?"

"You mean that guy from Nekoma?"

"Yeah, the tall weird haired guy."

"Oh, they might be."

 _Ah, they're talking about Kuroo-san,_ Akaashi realised. _It was probably when we were picking up the games._

 _Kuroo-san and Shiori-san…_ Akaashi's mind wandered to the Nekoma pair. Kuroo certainly had an interest in Shiori, but how much it was romantic, he didn't know. All he knew was that Kuroo kept giving him smirks and funny looks whenever he was hanging out with Shiori.

 _But, they do look good together._

Akaashi stopped his thoughts, momentarily stopping in his tracks when he watched Bokuto and Shiori talk about food.

"Hey! Bokuto!" Kuroo called for them at the school gates, waving at the captain, vice-captain, and the girl. Beside him was Kenma, who didn't say anything, but waved at them too.

"Hey! Kuroo! What are you doing here?!" Bokuto let go of Shiori and went up to Kuroo.

"Thought we'd hang out afterwards. You don't want to?" The scheming captain questioned with a raise of the brow.

Shiori greeted the Nekoma duo, grinning as she talked to Kenma and when she joined into Kuroo and Bokuto's conversation.

 _Ah, they do look good together,_ the setter thought, seeing them stand near each other. His brows furrowed slightly at the thought and he pushed it out of his head, hoping that it wouldn't bother him.

 _No, it's not like that._

He wanted to deny it, but even though he would think, absolutely, that it wasn't like that, he wouldn't know.

 _No, they're not._

* * *

"Alright, we'll go now." Kuroo and Kenma waved at the Fukurodani students as they went inside the station.

"Bye!" Shiori waved to them as they left. Bokuto and Akaashi waved until they were out of sight.

"That was nice. Kuroo and Kenma are such an interesting pair." Shiori commented with a light smile.

"Yeah, they are." Akaashi agreed.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, so she took it out quickly to check to see who it was while Bokuto and Akaashi made small talk.

 **Michiko: You forgot your kneepads! They'll be at the front desk if you need them.**

 **Shiori: Ah! Thank you! I totally forgot!**

"Keiji, Kou, I've got to head off first, ok?" Shiori looked up to them, holding up a hand in a prayer like way in apology for interrupting their conversation. "I left my kneepads at the sports centre so I need to go pick them up."

"Eh, okay. See you next week, then!" Bokuto grinned and patted her shoulder.

"See you next week, Shiori-san." Akaashi smiled at her. "Be careful on your way back."

"Thanks for your concern, Keiji. I'll be fine." The girl grinned at him before she waved and ran off quickly. "Good luck on your matches tomorrow and the day after!"

"She's actually really fast." Bokuto commented with a laugh, seeing her speed around the corner.

Akaashi nodded, "Yeah."

As Akaashi and Bokuto walked home, they talked about a variety of things, including lots of things about volleyball and some stuff about school.

"Akaashi, why did you lie about before?" Bokuto questioned with a raise of a thick brow. He was referring to the time when they went to the school to see Shiori.

Akaashi's eyes slightly widened at the detail that the ace remembered. "…if we weren't going to hang out with her, then what was the point of going to the school after our matches?" He managed to avoid giving him his actual thoughts. If he did, there was no doubt that the owl would keep prying to get all the gossip he could.

"Ahhh! True!" Bokuto nodded to himself in thought. "I thought you thought that she didn't want to hang out with the other guys that were behind her."

"…Bokuto-san, you're going to hit a pole."

"Oof!" As if on cue, Akaashi took a few more steps forward and stopped, looking behind to see his ace rubbing his nose, cursing at the pole that had dared obstruct his way.

"It's not the pole's fault, Bokuto-san. You just weren't looking where you were going." The setter rather easily commented.

"You're so cruel, Akaashi!"

* * *

"Ah, thanks for keeping these for me!" Shiori let out a breathless smile as she took the kneepads from the front desk.

"You're welcome. I'm glad to be of help!" The middle aged woman that was at the counter smiled warmly at the regular, "Are you going to be coming for the summer games? I didn't see your name on the sign-up sheet, so I wondered if you forgot."

"Oh, nah, I'm not signing up this time. I'm going back to visit my mum in the summer." Shiori grinned.

"That's right, your mother's in Miyagi, isn't she? Tell her I said hi. Have fun and take care."

"Thank you! I hope the games go well."

With that, Shiori left the sports centre. She started to walk back home slowly, the same speed as when Akaashi would walk with her.

 _I'm surprised they came and visited today. I thought they would've gone straight home._

A smile dangled off her lips as she hummed a light tune to herself, passing some children walking with their parents.

"Mummy! She's humming the tune to Spirited Away! Mummy!"

"Yes, she is. Do you want to go home and watch it?"

"Yeah!"

"Okay, but after we have dinner, okay?"

"Okay!"

Shiori wanted to laugh at that little dialogue. It was nostalgic. The same thing had happened with her and her mother back when they were in Miyagi.

"What a coincidence," The girl giggled and continued on, a light skip in her step.

It had become a happy day.

"Hm?" Shiori stared at the ground a few metres in front of her, seeing something move.

 _A rat?_

When she saw it moving again, she looked up immediately, stopping in her steps.

 _That's no rat._

Her happy mood changed to one of caution, remembering just not too long ago when she was walking with Akaashi, she saw something suspicious. She said it was nothing then, but she didn't want to worry her favourite junior, and thus said nothing.

 _I guess I was right after all._

Her legs tensed and her hand moved to the strap of her bag, getting ready to take it off and throw it at whoever it was.

As if the shadow understood that she knew it was there, there was no more movement.

Shiori stayed there, standing tense, waiting. She was sure that she was the only one there at that moment, save for the shadow movement.

 **Watch out for the pervert that's on the loose, Shiori-san.**

It was almost as if Akaashi was scolding her for being so carefree.

 _Urgh, I get it, I get it…_

Shiori took one step forward, making sure to observe the shadow, and the corner that she was going to turn. If she was right in her thinking, anything could pop up right about now, and that included the pervert that she might encounter.

 _Thinking about that now, the news was a while ago about this pervert that went around harassing and flashing girls and women. I'm surprised he wasn't caught._

Shiori let out a silent huff of air, then clasped her hands into a fist and took a few quick steps forward, quickly taking off her bag and preparing to hit the thing on the other side.

When she stomped her foot down on the side street, she saw nothing. Her dark brows knitted together in slight confusion as she looked around, seeing no one.

In the next split second, she pivoted around and threw a kick, barely missing the forehead of a trench coat and fedora wearing person.

"Who are you." Shiori demanded, not even posing it as a question. She watched as they held the fedora to their head with gloved hands.

 _I missed them. Did they know I was going to throw a kick? Is that a girl or boy? They're quite agile to have gone out of the way of my range so quickly. Are they skilled?_

"And when you were finally not with that boy." They spoke, but the Maebara had no idea what kind of voice that was, only that it came from a voice changer.

They didn't speak anymore after that. Instead, they ran the direction that Shiori came, getting out of her sight.

She flung her bag back on her shoulders and quickly took out her phone, calling the police.

"Hello? This is the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department."

"Hello. I think I just encountered the pervert that was on the loose in the recent months."

* * *

Shiori stayed in her spot so that when the police arrived, it would be easier to question her. She wasn't scared, but it made her incredibly weary of the area around the neighbourhood, especially the one where she walked home.

It was concerning.

"Hello, you are Maebara-san, is that correct?" One of the 3 policemen that came started to question her, writing down and jotting down whatever information she could give them.

"I'm not sure what gender they were but they were a bit taller than I was. If I had to say, probably around 175cm or so. Their build wasn't too big nor was it small. I wasn't able to hear their voice because they were using a voice changer. They were wearing a long brown trench coat and a fedora." Shiori explained to the man. She watched as he wrote down key details.

"Shiori-san, what's happening?"

She turned to Akaashi, who was walking towards her with a slightly concerned expression.

"Is that your friend, Maebara-san?" The officer asked kindly, looking to Akaashi and greeting him. He greeted the older male back.

Shiori nodded, letting Akaashi come up next to her.

"Do you have any more information you can give us, Maebara-san?"

"Yesterday, my friend and I were walking home together, and I saw something suspicious not too far from here." Shiori explained.

Akaashi's brows furrowed just slightly, _so I was right in my assumption yesterday, then._

"Where was that place? Could you please show me where?"

"It was just over here." Shiori took a few steps backward so that she was on the other road, then pointed to her right, down that road. "It was near there, where the shadows are."

"Was that the first time you saw something suspicious around this area?"

"…for now, I'd say so."

"Do you normally walk home with your friend every day?"

"Yes." Akaashi and Shiori replied simultaneously, which prompted them to look at each other.

"I see. Thank you for your time. This will help with the investigation. If you find anything suspicious, please give us a call."

"Yeah, okay. Thank you." Shiori gave them each a little bow, before they headed into their cars and drove off.

Once they were out of sight, Akaashi bombarded her with questions.

"Are you hurt anywhere?" He glanced her up and down, noting that nothing was out of place.

"Nah, I didn't get hurt."

"What exactly happened? I thought you would have gone home by then." Akaashi recalled the conversation he had with Bokuto that lasted a little longer than he thought it would.

"Alright. I'll give you the rundown. So after I said bye to you guys, I went to the sports centre to get back my kneepads. I was walking home and came to here, where I felt something suspicious and saw weird shadows moving. So, I waited for a bit to get ready to attack them but when I tried, they weren't there." Shiori frowned, "They were behind me, and I tried to throw a surprise kick, but they just dodged it and ran away."

"They dodged a kick from you?" Akaashi raised a brow slightly. If anything, he was sure that it was either a fluke or they were skilled.

"Yeah." Her brows furrowed slightly and she pressed a closed palm to her lips.

"What is it?" He had the inkling of a feeling she wasn't saying everything, so he was encouraged to ask.

"Before they ran away, they told me: 'and when you were finally not with that boy'. I couldn't tell if they were girl or boy with that voice changer on, but yeah." Shiori confided.

Akaashi processed her words quickly, eyes widening slightly when his thought process went several ways to figure out why they said that.

"Why didn't you tell the police that?" Akaashi questioned, a slight edge to his voice.

"Because if I did, that would mean they'd stick a guard to me 24/7 and that would be harder to catch the person." Shiori glanced at the taller male, a fire in her eyes that made the setter sigh.

 _She knows what she's getting into,_ Akaashi didn't approve of it at all because it was dangerous, but given it was someone like Shiori, it would probably take 5 Bokuto's to bring her down if that were the case.

"You realise you're getting stalked, right?" The setter hardened his words. "I don't—" He stopped himself mid-sentence.

"You don't want me to get hurt, right?" Shiori finished it for him, nodding slowly. "I'll be fine. Trust me. If anything, I have back up here with me now, right? And I have Arata and dad too."

"…that's not the problem." Akaashi let out a sigh.

"Thanks for worrying about me. But if I don't do this then some other girl will get harassed in my stead." She gave him a light pat on the shoulder and hummed a light tune, continuing where she left off from before.

"...you're too righteous."

"Hm? What did you say?" The girl stopped humming and looked at him.

"Nothing."


	25. raison 24

égoïste

raison #24

* * *

 _I can't really do anything about Shiori-san wanting to stop the pervert on the loose. But, what she said that the pervert said was concerning._

Akaashi sat at his desk, starting at the sheet of paper that was blank. He tapped the pen on the paper once every few seconds, trying to gather his train of thought.

 _She's trying to do this all herself. How exactly is she going to capture this person? She's got a foundation and has learn how to protect herself, but is it really going to be fine against someone that's been able to avoid police capture for months?_

Akaashi put his pen down and left the chair, sitting on his bed.

 _That person…they've been tailing us for a while now, I think. It might be why they said those words to Shiori-san. If that's the case, why haven't they given up?_

 _I can think of many reasons, but I don't know which one it is._

"Keiji, are you sleeping now?" There was a gentle voice and light knock on the door. His mother opened it ajar, peering in. "Oh, you're not." She let the door open fully and she leaned against the frame.

"What is it, mother?" His mother usually only came to his room to either say goodnight or to talk about something. He was guessing it was the latter.

"Have you decided on the day that Shiori-chan will be coming over?" She smiled when she said her name.

"Not yet. We did decide after Nationals, I think." Akaashi added the last part after a moment.

"If you don't move soon she'll be snatched away by some other person, Keiji."

"Why are you giving me advice for this?" He questioned, utterly curious.

"Why?" She beamed at him, "Isn't it only natural for a mother to want to give her son advice in certain areas?"

"Mother…"

"Yes?"

"Please stop making that face every time you talk about Shiori-san."

"What face?"

"…the one you're making right now."

"Nope." She giggled and grabbed the door handle and began to close the door, "I hope to receive good news soon. But first, focus on rest and volleyball. You have games tomorrow. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

She switched off the light before closing the door.

Akaashi lay on his bed. It was too hot to use the blankets but it was too cold without them. So he settled for it over his stomach.

" **Don't you think Kenma and Kuroo have gotten a lot closer to Shiori?"**

"Ah." He stopped his thoughts. They were drifting in and out of different things and different topics. One of them happened to be what Bokuto and he were talking about before they went their separate ways earlier that day.

" **I guess so. Kozume and Shiori-san have bonded over games." Akaashi had said at that time.**

" **Yeah, but have you seen Kuroo? He's acting too familiar with her! Too familiar!" Bokuto emphasised, exploding his hand gestures and facial expressions.**

"… **isn't he like that with everybody?"**

" **Maybe? I don't know!"**

" **Are you jealous, Bokuto-san?" Akaashi had to ask such a question because the current situation begged for it. Why would it bother him in the first place? He wasn't the one who was currently crushing on her.**

" **Jealous? Me?" Bokuto made a face, but then fell silent, his face scrunching up to think long and hard about what the 2** **nd** **year said.**

 _ **Why does he need to think about this? Didn't he declare that she's the 'unattainable' type of girl?**_ **Akaashi wondered.**

 **A slight red blush rose to the owl captain's cheeks, indicating an embarrassing train of thought.**

" **N-not j-jealous at a-all!"**

" **You're red, Bokuto-san."**

" **AKAASHI! LEARN TO READ THE ATMOSPHERE!"**

… _ **don't tell me…**_ **Akaashi contained his mutual look, but he started to feel that unease whenever he caught himself thinking that Shiori wouldn't ever look his way.**

" **You like Shiori-san, don't you?" He managed to say. It was easy to say, but after those words left his mouth, he wished they never did. He didn't want to find out if he was going to be a rival or not. Yet, at the same time, he wanted to know.**

" **Of course I like her!"**

" **Not in that sense."**

" **Oh. Uh…maybe? Sort of? I don't know! ARGH!" Bokuto threw his head back as his hands clasped the sides of his head. He ended up crouched on the ground on the sidewalk, muttering incoherent things because he had no idea what his own mumbled train of thought was.**

"… **then why are you jealous, if you don't like her?" Akaashi wanted to solve this puzzle.**

" **Doesn't Akaashi like her too?" Bokuto looked up at the setter, a look of wanting confirmation in his eyes.**

 **The setter almost faltered in his expression,** _ **almost.**_

 _I ended up avoiding the question…_ Akaashi thought, turning to his side. He stared at the door and the soft light that came from under the door crack.

" **I think you're too flustered to think right now, Bokuto-san."**

" **Ah! Am I?! I need to calm down!" Bokuto slapped his cheeks, trying to calm himself. It worked splendidly, mainly due to the fact that he wasn't that flustered to begin with.**

 _ **I narrowly avoided that…**_ **was the setter's thought.**

 _ **How did Bokuto-san manage to catch on?**_

 **Akaashi looked to the side,** _ **does everyone except Shiori-san know? Am I obvious?**_

" **I hope Shiori doesn't like Kuroo or Kenma." Bokuto stood back up, sighing. He adjusted his bag strap.**

 **Akaashi didn't reply to that statement. Of course, he agreed with Bokuto's words, but no one knows who would fall for who.**

 _ **Hah…funny how we're having a conversation on this topic. I thought we'd talk about volleyball.**_

" **Speaking of don't like, we're going up against that team tomorrow that kept stuffing me, right, Akaashi?"**

 _ **There it is,**_ **Akaashi thought.**

" **Yeah. That's only if we get through the first game of the day. Then, they'll be our second opponents." He replied.**

" **HEY, HEY, HEY! Prepare to get squashed!" Bokuto cheered loudly.**

 _ **My ears…**_

 _Then it was some casual conversation after,_ Akaashi turned onto his back.

He stared at the dark ceiling, then his eyes wandered to the moonlight that came through his window. He pushed the curtains lazily to the side, just a little bit, and stared up. It was a pretty moon, reminding him of a brand new volleyball.

 _Hope for a good game tomorrow, too._

 _Shiori-san, don't do anything stupid and reckless, please._

And he went to sleep.

* * *

"Excuse me?" Maebara Yusei's brows rose in shock. He stopped drinking his tea and put it down onto the dining table, staring at his daughter.

"Yeah. So that's why there were police cars." Shiori concluded with a nod.

 _You shouldn't have told dad about this…_ Arata glanced over at his father and noticed that the male had started to get agitated, probably imagining breaking the bones of the currently-on-the-loose pervert.

Yusei let out a big exhale, dissolving the rising tension in his shoulders. He was originally going to get angry, but that wasn't going to solve anything. He knew his daughter was more responsible than what she seemed.

"Alright. I'll trust in whatever you want to do, then." Yusei concluded with a hard tone.

Arata did a double take, unsure if he heard right.

 _Dad's actually giving her leeway?!_ Arata was surprised. He was sure that he was going to blow his top and lecture her about the dangers of the world and whatnot.

When he looked to his sister, he bit back laughter because she was just as equally shocked.

She pointed to herself, "You're…trusting me with this? Are you sure?"

"You don't want me to?" Was the older Maebara's snappy reply.

She pressed her lips into a thin line, which then became a smile. "Thanks for trusting me. I'll do you proud!"

"That's so cheesy…" Arata remarked with a light chuckle.

"As long as you break all his bones and destroy him then you'll make me proud. Dissect him like you would a child's toy." Yusei was smiling, but it was sinister.

 _Scary…_ Arata thought.

"If I need to then I will, actually. I think this guy's skilled since he dodged a surprise kick, but still."

"What does Akaashi-kun think of this?" Yusei questioned suddenly.

Arata and Shiori's eyes widened and their brows both rose in surprise.

"What's Akaashi got to do with this?" She tilted her head in confusion. He wasn't exactly going to help her out in her plan.

"He's always walking you home, isn't he? The boy might be worried so that's why he always does it." Yusei sounded a little spiteful as he took another sip of tea.

"Nah, isn't it because we live in the same direction? Oh wait…" She recalled him saying something along the lines of 'it's late so it's dangerous for you to be walking home alone'.

"…oh." She hit her fist against her palm. "Yeah, probably. He was actually against this idea too but I somehow convinced him I think."

"I don't know if he's being too lenient with you or not." Arata muttered. "That guy needs to tell you off."

"I think you tell me off enough, thank you very much." Shiori shot him a look.

"Not enough, I feel." Her older brother shrugged and went to the kitchen to fix himself some water.

Shiori sighed. "Should we tell mum about this?"

Yusei contemplated for a moment, then shook his head. "She's got enough to worry about since Shiratorizawa's giving her enough trouble already. It's nearly exams so she's writing the physics part of it, I think."

"Ah, is that why you're not calling her in your usual late night calls?" Arata and Shiori said at the same time.

Their parents would normally talk over the phone for about an hour or so at night before they went to bed. Due to the distance and their schedules, it was hard for them to contact each other all the time, so they did it over phone at night.

Yusei was reduced to a sobbing mess on the dining table, quite comically. "I miss her!"

 _There it is…he's such a cry baby when it involves mum,_ the siblings thought.

"Maybe just call her soon? Or maybe a less intrusive thing, a text?" Shiori suggested.

"A text! Why didn't I think of that?" Yusei was up and about again, back to his normal self. He wrote a quick message to his wife and waited with a smile on his face.

"Ricchan. It's been a while since you've done any self-defence so be careful, really. You may have done volleyball and other sports and that makes you strong, too, but when it comes to things like these it's a little bit different." Arata handed his sister a cup of tea.

"Thanks." She murmured. "Well, we'll see what happens."

"Stupid idiot. You should be thankful I'm currently on vacation so that I can look after a stupid ass like you." He karate chopped her head.

"Ouch!" She grimaced and held the spot he chopped.

"Be careful."

"…I will."

* * *

The next day, Akaashi woke up a little earlier than usual. He stared at the clock, seeing that it was 10 minutes from the alarm going off.

 _I'm early,_ the setter blinked the sleepiness away from his eyes and pushed the blankets away, heading to the bathroom to freshen up.

 _Summer makes it too bright too early in the morning…_

He stared at himself a little longer in the mirror, examining the features that others would see, the features that belonged to him.

… _I shouldn't think about that._

He sighed and turned off the tap.

* * *

Shiori chuckled to herself when she dressed up in her disguising gear.

"I look awesome!" She declared, looking at herself on the fridge's reflection. She adjusted her hat and sunglasses, putting her hands on her hips when done.

"You look like shit." Arata pushed Shiori's head to the side gently, pushing off her cap.

"What?!"

"You'll attract more attention that way. Just dress like normal and try to blend in with the crowd. That's the best disguise." The older Maebara took the sunglasses and put them on himself. "How can you even see with these inside? It's so dark."

"Urgh…I thought this was a good disguise, too…" The girl moaned, taking back the sunglasses. She got the hat off the ground and went back to her room to change into something normal.

"So what's the occasion?" Arata asked when she walked out of her room with her usual casual attire.

"I'm going to watch Fukurodani and Nekoma's games today. I'm going secretly because I haven't told any of them, so…yeah." She grinned cheekily.

"Say hi to them for me. And be careful of the pervert." Arata waved his arm lazily and took something from the fridge to have for breakfast.

"Aren't you going to have a proper breakfast?" Shiori asked, eyeing the piece of fruit he was having.

"This is the entrée. I'm going to wait till dad wakes up to make it. You staying for it or nah?"

"Nah, I'll grab something to eat outside. I haven't been to that bakery in a long time."

"OH!" At the mention of the bakery, Arata's eyes sparkled as he leaned forward towards his sister, "Get back some cream puffs! FRESHLY BAKED ONES!"

"Yeah, ok. You're paying me back half though."

"Sure."

"Alright, I'm going!"

"Safe trip Lil piece of shit."

"See you loser."

* * *

Kenma blinked as he stared at the new presence that he saw on the bleachers. He was vaguely sure that it was someone he knew, but at the same time, he didn't know since they were so far away.

He squinted and took a sip from his drink bottle. Nekoma had just finished their first game of the day, and were taking a break before their next game against Itachiyama Academy, one of the top schools for boys' volleyball alongside Fukurodani.

 _Is that Shiori?_ He questioned, leaning forward just slightly.

He saw them sit down in the front rows, near Fukurodani but not so close that she could be so easily seen. She was blending in with some other school students that decided to come watch.

 _Ah, that_ is _Shiori._

"Kenma, who're you staring at?" Kuroo followed the pudding head's gaze, his expression turning into a sly little smirk. "I see, I see…"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kenma gave Kuroo a funny look.

"Nothing." And then the scheming captain proceeding to look in her direction and wave.

"Huh?" The captain stopped halfway from doing a wave when he saw her do a cross with her arms and shake her head, putting a finger to her lips. She then pointed to Fukurodani's banner, then to herself, and covered her eyes, then made her arms into a cross shape again.

"Ooohhhhh!" The middle blocker nodded in understanding, nodding at her and saluting. She matched his salute.

"What was that?" The gamer asked.

"Shiori's here secretly to watch the games." Kuroo summed up.

"How did you get that from just watching her do gestures?" Kenma looked up to the girl to see that she was watching Fukurodani warming up for their match. He followed her gaze and saw that she was watching Komi do digs.

"She's watching them like a hawk. Scary." Kuroo commented with a light laugh.

"She's analysing their play. She did this when we had that practice match with Fukurodani." Kenma recalled. He was watching her that time, because she was so silent and seemed so engrossed compared to the others. He noticed she wasn't merely 'watching'.

"I guess so. Wonder why she's watching them so much." Kuroo hummed. He ended up sighing. "She knows we know she's here, so she'll see us go against Itachiyama." He rubbed the back of his neck. "That'll be tough."

"Yeah…" Kenma imagined all the tough plays that Itachiyama will be pulling.

Technically, they're not tough plays, but complete with the strength of one of the top 3 of the nation and the top high school libero, it's a little difficult, the situation they were in.

"Fukurodani's starting their match now. Let's go up and watch." Kuroo suggested to the team. He tilted his head up to the bleachers near where Shiori was, bringing the stuff up with him.

Shiori breathed a sigh of relief when Kuroo and Kenma didn't do anything to give away her position. She was happy that he understood what she meant without words. She tore her eyes away from the red team that were heading to the bleachers, training them on Fukurodani.

Her school's team was currently up against a team that she didn't know of. It wasn't the team that kept stuffing Bokuto.

 _They'll be the next team when they beat this one, then._

She observed the team members, looking at each and every one, seeing if they were in top forme. Most of them were, which relieved the 3rd year.

 _I'm looking forward to a good play!_

* * *

The Fukurodani setter felt eyes boring into the back of his head. It wasn't just any normal stare, it was an intense one, as if they were scrutinising him under a microscope.

When he inconspicuously set a ball into Saru's field of spiking he took a quick glance to the side to see who it was. He hid his mild surprise and focused back on the warmup at hand.

… _when did she come?_ Akaashi wondered. It motivated him just a tad more than usual; her turning up in secret without telling them.

He saw her making some weird gestures in a different direction and stifled an amused look, knowing that it was her way of trying to not get the other side to bring attention to her.

 _You're bringing enough attention as is, Shiori-san._

"Is…is Akaashi smiling?" Konoha questioned with a bewildered look on his face. He was sure that he saw an amused look on the younger male's face, but he wondered if he was seeing things.

"I think so…?" Washio was unsure.

"Is he _that_ excited about seeing Bokuto and Saru spike?" The jack-of-all trades chuckled.

"Maybe…?"

* * *

"Nice seeing you here." Kuroo and Kenma sat behind Shiori. The other teammates sat on seats a bit further away, but they were eavesdropping on the conversation between the captain and the girl (Kuroo had told them to sit away so that it doesn't draw attention to her).

"Nice seeing you here too." Shiori didn't turn around to talk. She spoke just loud enough for them to hear while she watched her school play.

"I didn't know you were coming." Kuroo watched the game as well, seeing Bokuto score for the first time that day with a strong spike.

"No one was supposed to. It's a secret."

"I think Akaashi might have caught on." Kenma commented after a moment.

"Nah, I didn't see him look up here." Shiori added, "I'm just glad Bokuto hasn't found out yet. He'd make a huge fuss."

"Hah, he would." Kuroo chuckled.

"How was your first game?" Shiori changed the topic, seeing Bokuto do a quick. It scored them another point.

"We won. It was good." Kuroo nodded, opening a drink bottle.

"Tiring." Kenma muttered.

Shiori giggled, "It would be, wouldn't it? But you guys have another game soon, so take it easy and rest up."

"Since when were you this nice?" The rooster head enquired, leaning forward.

"I'm always this nice." She replied.

Kenma looked to Kuroo with a bland look.

"Don't look at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Nothing, don't worry about it."

"Guys, how do you think Kou is today?" Shiori suddenly asked. Just like before, she wasn't looking at those who she was addressing, but watching the game.

"Bokuto?" The captain looked to the dual colour haired male on the court, who was spiking crosses here and there. "He looks fine…for now."

Shiori stayed silent, examining the play. She leaned on her thighs and pressed a closed palm to her lips.

 _He's hitting too many crosses._

Her expression changed to a slight grimace.

 _Hope he doesn't go into his emo mode anytime soon._


	26. raison 25

égoïste

raison #25

* * *

 _Thankfully they won that without Bokuto going all emo._

Shiori had left her seat to go get a snack from a nearby convenience store, coming back quickly. She noted that Itachiyama and Nekoma were currently against each other, and Fukurodani was taking a break on the sidelines.

 _Itachiyama is one of the powerhouse schools with one of the best aces of the nation alongside Kiryu and Ushi-chan. Nekoma is also a powerhouse, but the problem lies with if they can go against them well enough to win without a trump card._

Shiori opened the wrapper for the first onigiri, taking a bite.

 _There he is—Sakusa, the germaphobe. It's my first time seeing him in person…I think. And that libero…he's really good. No wonder he got the title of best libero. He might even get the award after play off to Nationals._

She tore her brown eyes away from the Nekoma match to look towards Fukurodani's direction.

 _I'll talk to them afterwards, I'm just going to—_

"HEY, HEY, HEY! SHIORI! I didn't know you were coming!"

 _Speak of the devil—_

"Ack!" The girl nearly fell when Bokuto threw an arm around her shoulders from behind with a loud thump, cheering when he dragged her over to the team with a joyful smile.

"GUYS! Shiori's come to visit us!" The enthusiastic ace let go of her, placing his hands on his hips.

"I didn't know you were coming!" Yukie and Kaori grinned at her.

"I was keeping it surprise..." The girl sighed and greeted the players, coaches and managers, who were all surprised (sans Akaashi).

"Good luck with your next game play!" She put her hand in front of her, her palm flat and facing the ground. "You'll be facing off with the team that kept stuffing your ace! Mow them down!"

Bokuto was the first to put his hand on top of hers, almost slapping it down in excitement. "YEAH!"

The rest of the team followed suit, and they cheered for the next game to come.

"Go hydrate yourselves and eat something to get your energy up." Yukie instructed, taking hold of the drink bottle bag. She handed one to Bokuto who didn't have it yet.

"I'm going to go watch Itachiyama and Nekoma's game." Shiori gave Yukie a light wave and went off to go watch the playing team.

 _Oh, that's as strong as Ushi-chan,_ Shiori had just come at a time when Sakusa had smashed down a strong quick, allowing for the ball to fly all the way up to where she was. She caught the ball easily, not too surprised, and threw it back down.

She was used to seeing such strong hits from Bokuto and Ushi-chan.

 _I guess this is why Itachiyama is Fukurodani's eternal rival for the top spot,_ Shiori mused, _and they've both got very strong players. Well, in Fukurodani's case it can fluctuate depending on Bokuto's moods. Sometimes he can rival the top 3 when he's in good condition, and if not, then, well…yeah._

"Sakusa-san is very strong, isn't he?" Akaashi came up to the observing 3rd year, holding two onigiri in his hand as his snack.

Shiori glanced at him quickly before looking back to the game. "He is. He's as strong as Ushi-chan." The moment she said her nickname for Ushijima, she corrected herself, because Akaashi wouldn't know who she was talking about. "Sorry, I mean Ushijima."

 _Ushi-chan?_ The setter questioned. _Is she on close terms to the ace of Shiratorizawa?_

"Well, he is one of the three top aces in the nation." Akaashi gave it a thought; Shiori was from Miyagi, and Kitagawa Daiichi. If he remembered correctly, she had said she'd go over to watch the boy's matches because the girls' ones finished too quickly back in middle school.

 _Ah, that must be where she was able to meet Ushijima. I'm surprised she befriended him._

He paused for a moment, _didn't she show me messages between her and MiracleBoy about Ushijima having their selfie as a phone background?_

He had been so busy lately that he nearly forgot. He wanted to sigh to himself. There was no use getting worried about her; it was rather obvious that she wasn't going to be interested in another in a romantic way, for now anyway.

"Ah, Sakusa's serving." Shiori mumbled under her breath. She watched him closely, seeing his form, the power and the accuracy.

 _Decent,_ she mentally commented, taking the final bite of her onigiri.

 _She must be analysing them again,_ Akaashi guessed.

 _Nekoma's doing pretty well against them for now, but I think it might get a little hard here on out. Sakusa's the ace so he might be a late starter. Maybe his engines haven't been warmed up yet but, back when I caught the ball it wasn't nearly as strong as Ushi-chan's when I saw it last year,_ the volleyball player leaned against the railing, _Nekoma specialises in defence, but Itachiyama's a powerhouse of spears and arrows, if I had to put it that way. If I had to say at the rate things are going now, Itachiyama will probably win 2-0._

Akaashi wondered just how much she was thinking when she was watching or in game. Of course, he'd experienced her being in game first hand, but he had never asked what she thought when she was, or when she was watching. There was the time with Nekoma and Fukurodani's practice match where she analysed the red team's plays, but he guessed that was just the gist of it.

 _If she were a setter or coach that would be terrifying,_ he concluded.

* * *

"She's... she looks like she's glaring at you, Sakusa." Komori sweat dropped when he drank some water on the sidelines. They were having some time to take a brief rest before the second set commenced.

Sakusa gave the libero a funny look, then looked up to follow where he looked. He stared at her for a while, brows knitting together just slightly.

"What are you glaring at her for?" Komori laughed.

Sakusa saw that she was talking to Fukurodani's Akaashi, making small talk while she waited for the next set to begin.

"Don't we know her?" The ace ended up saying. "I've seen her before."

"You have?" The slightly shorter male looked up again and studied the girl, before his lips parted and his eyes widened in surprise. "Why is a hot shot here?!"

"What?"

"Don't you recognise her? She was featured in the recent monthly volleyball magazine." The libero said incredulously.

"You mean the one that you searched up pictures after learning right away that she was playing volleyball again?" Sakusa said after a thoughtful moment.

Komori sweated, "Yeah, that one."

"No wonder I saw her before."

"No, no, you might have seen her in games or something. Remember that video that the coach showed us when telling us to improve our serves?"

"…is that her?"

"Yeah, I think so. Those forums were right!"

"Are you a stalker?"

"Don't be such a downer! And no, I'm not! I just wanted to know whether the rumours were true."

"Second set, let's start! Get to the court, boys." The coach clapped his hands a couple of times, and the libero and ace were forced to shorten their conversation.

* * *

"So in the end Itachiyama won." Shiori pushed herself off the rails and stretched lightly.

"Yeah." Akaashi nodded. He glanced to where his team were. They were finishing up with their food and were getting ready to go down to the court. "Our game is soon so I'll have to go."

"Yeah, okay. I'll be watching you guys from up here." Shiori grinned and patted his back. "Go get them!"

Akaashi smiled small, "Yeah." He went back to where the others were.

"Ohoho? What was that just now?" Yukie had that suspiciously sly critter like smile on her face.

"That was cute." Kaori was the next one to tease him.

"Oya? Very cute." Kuroo was after Kaori with a teasing sly smirk.

"How did you even get up here that fast, Kuroo-san?" Akaashi sighed. They were doing this just to tease him.

"Don't worry about that, just worry about how you guys are going to beat that team that kept stuffing Bokuto." Kuroo's expression had turned serious. He was bummed out that they lost against Itachiyama, but they were going to watch Fukurodani's match.

"…yeah," The setter nodded.

* * *

 _So far, so good,_ Shiori was eating the second half of her snacks she had bought earlier. It was mid game for the first set, and things were getting a little heated.

Meaning, the teams were already all warmed up and they were ready for a real fight.

 _They're starting to block Kou more. When will he be able to hit right past them? With that new straight of his?_

"Bokuto-san!" Akaashi set the ball for the ace, who was going to hit a cross. The blockers from the opposing team jumped up, blocking the ball, killing it.

Their team cheered and high fived each other while Bokuto ground his molars and brooded.

"Don't mind." Konoha said to the ace.

"I'll get it next time." Bokuto promised.

 _He got blocked this time…I'm not surprised. The other team knew he was going to do a cross spike, so they adjusted to him at the last second. Is it because Bo's been hitting crosses the whole time, so they assumed he'd hit it again this time?_

Shiori tapped her fingers against the metal railing.

It was the opposing side's turn to serve. As they served, Shiori made a mental note that it definitely wasn't their strong point.

Komi dug the ball up straight to Akaashi, who did a set up for Bokuto. Just like in the previous play, the blockers from the other team jumped up to kill the cross.

Bokuto hit a straight, one so straight that it zoomed right past those same blockers, hitting the area just before the line. It was in.

There was a moment of silence before Fukurodani cheered loudly for their ace.

Shiori's lips parted as she stared at the area that the ball hit, and then to the celebrating team on her side of the court. Their expressions were ones of a mixture of amazement, happiness, relief, excitement and most of all, _success_.

Her teeth clenched together when she felt an uncomfortable throb in her throat and chest, but she forced herself to smile and clap for the ace.

 _Yeah. That was what I came for._

* * *

"HEY, HEY, HEY! SHIORI! DID YOU SEE ME?! DID YOU SEE ME?!" Bokuto threw up his arms towards the bleachers, where Shiori was standing watching.

She laughed lightly and waved at him.

Fukurodani had won the game against the team that used to keep stuffing Bokuto. He was so happy, that Shiori felt bad that she felt the way she did now.

"You were awesome out there!" Shiori exclaimed.

She tried to put as much impact in her words, and she sounded convincing even to herself, so she hoped it did for everyone else.

"YEAH!"

"Bokuto, stretch!" Yukie handed the ace a water bottle.

"Thanks!" The ace was just as enthusiastic about getting water as he was about everything else at the current stage of his life.

 _It's good he's so happy. I can't let myself think shit for any reason,_ Shiori wanted to sigh to herself.

She went down the bleachers and to the courts, where she went to go talk to Yukie.

"Yuki, I'm going to go first, then. I have a few things I need to do." Shiori said almost apologetically.

"Okay. Good luck with those things." The manager smiled up at Shiori.

Akaashi glanced up at the girl. He was sure that something was off, but he didn't know what. She was a natural at acting natural, so it was a little harder with her.

"Thanks. I'll see you guys at your game tomorrow, then." Shiori waved bye and left, saying her respective byes to the team in general.

"Did something happen with Shiori? She sprinted the moment she got out of the place." Kuroo walked in after coming back from the bathroom.

"Sprinted?" Konoha questioned, taking it right out of Akaashi's mouth.

"Maybe she really wanted to go home?" Bokuto wondered. "Is she on dinner duty today?"

"It's too early to be making dinner, Bokuto-san." Akaashi checked the clock. It was just past 2pm.

"She said she had things to do so let's just leave it at that." Yukie took back the drink bottles from the boys.

"Yeah, okay." Bokuto was quick to go get some food.

 _I'll contact her later, then,_ Akaashi thought, finishing his stretches.

* * *

 _What the hell._

Shiori did a run, then jumped up, spiking the ball that she threw up herself. It was in a bit of an awkward position, but she couldn't exactly complain about the current situation.

 _That spike._

The ball hit the ground with a loud sound. She had caused others to turn heads when she did, but she didn't care.

 _That success._

She took another ball and threw it up as high as she could, then smashed it down like she would when she served. The ball painted the line, faster, stronger, but she felt nothing.

 _That cheer._

She grabbed another ball, ready to throw it up.

"Shiori-chan, you might injure yourself if you don't warm up properly." Michiko, the Pillows' team setter came up to her, having come to pick up some documents from the front desk, but came to check out who was playing.

"Michiko-san…" Shiori's concentration was broken when the older female had tapped her arm. "I'll be fine."

"Really? You seem a bit angry." Michiko brushed off the younger girl's bluff, not buying it.

"Eh…fine, just a little bit." Shiori sighed, twirling the ball in her hands.

"Just a little?" Michiko raised a brow and sighed gently after staring at her for a long moment.

"Yeah." Shiori stared at the ball, "I'm probably just getting stressed from entrance exams coming up soon…"

 _Not quite a lie, but a concealed truth._

"Don't get too stressed out, then, Shiori-chan. The balls are going to break if you hit them so hard." She laughed lightly and patted the girl's shoulder endearingly, like a mother would, and waved. "I'll see you soon."

"I'll see you soon." Shiori matched her wave. When she went out of sight, she gently massaged her shoulder and neck muscles, getting ready to do another spike serve.

 _A little bit angry is an underestimate._

She went to the end of the court and twisted the ball, throwing it up high. Then, she did yet another run up and smashed it down, hitting it just on the corner of the other side of the court.

 _No, rather than angry…_

Shiori took another ball from the basket, bouncing it like a basketball before going back to where she would serve again.

And, she served.

 _I'm frustrated._

* * *

 **Keiji: Are you coming for tomorrow's games, Shiori-san?**

Shiori stared at the text from the setter. She didn't do anything in response and just sat there, going through the worksheets and revision she still needed to do.

She turned the phone face down and continued to do her work, not wanting to have any disruptions.

15 minutes passed as she tried to do the question at hand, but weighing at the back of her mind was the guilt of not replying to anyone as soon as she got the message.

 _Urgh, I shouldn't take out my frustration on something as petty as this._

She turned the phone over and saw that the screen had just lighted up for another message. Her brows rose just slightly, her expression difficult.

 _What a dumbass I am._

 **Keiji: I'm sorry if we did something to anger you.**

 _Akaashi, why are you like this?_

It almost seemed out of character for the younger teen to say something like that, but he wasn't insensitive when it came to people's emotions. So of course he would pick up on her mood after he deciphered the puzzle as to why.

He also knew that she would always almost reply straight away, so 15 minutes delay was usually something quite rare unless he'd messaged her during a busy time.

 _You're not at fault here, Akaashi._

 **Shiori: No way! You guys did nothing to anger me. It's all me. And yes, I'll be coming tomorrow, too. I need to see you guys make nationals!**

When she sent the message, she was almost relieved.

 _He's sharp when it comes to other people._

 **Keiji: That's a relief. I'll see you tomorrow. Have a good night.**

 **Shiori: You too. Rest up well for tomorrow's games!**

Then she put the phone face down and closed her eyes, rubbing her temples.

 _I need to calm down. I can't get stupidly angry over something as trivial as this._

* * *

"Ricchan, did you buy back the cream puffs like I asked? The freshly baked ones?" Arata questioned, popping into the girl's room without knocking.

He paused when he saw her on the floor, playing on her phone while eating said cream puffs.

"Ah." She said, shoving the last one in her mouth. She quickly chewed it, sending him a cheeky smile. "Sorry, I just ate the last one."

"YOU LITTLE—!"

"RELAX I'LL GET SOME BACK TOMORROW I PROMISE—!"

"How many did you even eat, you fat ass?" Arata rolled his eyes and took the empty box of cream puffs from the floor, careful to make sure no crumbs came out.

 _I got 12, but I think I should say 4 so it doesn't sound as bad…_ Shiori sweated.

She licked her lips and got a tissue to wipe her mouth and hands. "Well, I got back 4—"

"Stop lying." Cue karate chop to the head.

"Ouch! Okay, fine, I got 12—"

"How could you eat them all?!"

"They just flew into my mouth!"

"You know you're lying, you little glutton!" Arata wrestled with her on the floor, giving her a noogie.

"STOP IT! THAT HURTS?!"

"That's for eating all the cream puffs!"

"I said I'd get you back some tomorrow!"

"You better be."

"Chill out, I will!"

* * *

The next day, Shiori went to the gymnasium to watch Fukurodani play their deciding matches.

 _I guess it makes sense that the teams are layered out like this considering how big Tokyo is…_

It was the first time she had seen the sheets where it showed which team was battling which team. She located Fukurodani and looked in their bracket, seeing that they didn't need to go up against powerhouses like Itachiyama on their 3rd day.

 _They'll get through today with no worries, except Bokuto's possible emo mode._

She took a look at where Nekoma was, and they were situated in a bracket with Itachiyama.

 _Nekoma isn't all that lucky this time, I guess…_

 _As expected from a champion school that's been a powerhouse for the past few decades, they're definitely going to advance towards nationals._

 _Speaking of nationals, Shiratorizawa will be there, won't they? I wonder if I'll see Ushi-chan._

The Maebara took a quick look at other brackets, noticing that Itachiyama and Fukurodani wouldn't go up against each other until when they'd get into nationals.

 _Isn't that a good thing? If they went up against them there's no knowing whether or not they'd win or lose. It's a huge gamble when fighting against that school. I guess it really is a lot better that they proceed to nationals without fighting another powerhouse._

 _Then again, isn't nationals just powerhouse schools?_ She wanted to laugh at her ironic thought.

"Shiori-san, good morning." Akaashi greeted. He had spotted her while the team was walking inside.

"Oh, Keiji, good morning." The girl greeted with a smile, turning to face him. "Are you ready for today's matches?"

"Mm. I think the others are in good condition today, too." The setter responded.

"Shiori! You're early!" Konoha sped walked up to the setter, "We don't start games yet till a little later so chill with us, won't you?" He was grinning.

"I'd be forced to do that even if you hadn't told me." She laughed.

"Oh yeah, Bokuto'd make you stay with us!" The wing spiker laughed and then waved at her, patting Akaashi on the back after, "We're going to get ready, so wait for us up in the bleachers!"

"Yup, alright." She smiled as they left.

She headed up to the bleachers and looked down at the several courts. None had started playing yet as it was too early, but they were all warming up.

 _Maybe I really did come too early?_


	27. raison 26

égoïste

raison #26

* * *

 _They won them no problem._

Shiori let out a light sigh when she saw to the end of the game. They had played well.

 _Yesterday's game must have lit a fire in them._

She watched them thank the other players and referees, before getting awarded for winning that division and going off to nationals.

She let a small smile hang on her lips when she watched them all graciously accept the medals and awards.

As they finished, Shiori went down when they were leaving so that she wouldn't need to wait around for too long.

"Are you joining us for yakiniku, Maebara-kun?" The coach questioned her with a smile.

"Eh, are you sure, coach?" She questioned with a surprised look. Yakiniku was expensive.

"It's fine, you're always helping the team out."

"O-oh, okay then. Thank you." She nodded at him, and the coach only smiled and walked forward to help the managers with the things.

"You're coming to eat with us?" Bokuto grinned, throwing an arm around her shoulder. His sweaty body pressed against her arm and the body heat he radiated was enough to heat up a furnace.

She pushed him away, "Bo! You're too sweaty and warm! But yes, I'll be eating with you guys." She ended up laughing when he made a funny face.

He let go of her nonetheless and cheered, getting a towel to dry himself off. While he did, he told the others.

Shiori sighed and placed her hands on her hips, then went to Yukie and Kaori to help carry things.

* * *

The yakiniku place ended up being the place Bokuto and Kuroo had gone to before. When Bokuto saw the sign he broke out in a dance and cheer, racing ahead. He was only stopped by Kaori, who, as the first year powerful manager, dragged him by the ear back to where the group was.

 _S-scary…_ Shiori thought. _Never mess with Kaori; note taken._

As they took their seats inside the restaurant, they were separated into different tables in the same room because there wasn't a huge long table that would fit them all.

Shiori sat with the other two girls, while Bokuto, Akaashi, Konoha and Saru shared a table, and Komi, Washio, Onaga and the coach did, and the bench warmers another.

"I guess this counts as an after nationals dinner, don't you think so?" Shiori let a smile form on her lips as she put the cut up raw meats onto the grill.

"Not really!" Yukie licked her lips and began her preliminary eating with the small things here and there.

Kaori laughed at her seniors' actions, "I'm surprised they let us go here for lunch afterwards. I checked out the prices online and it was kind of expensive if all of us are going to eat here."

"Maybe the school is recognising the achievements of the volleyball club?" Shiori suggested, eating part of a spring onion pancake.

"Maybe! We're not paying so it's fine." Yukie smiled as she got some vegetables from the salad, chewing them happily.

"You're only saying that because you can eat your fill." Shiori and Kaori sweat dropped.

 _I wonder how much she would spend on food alone if she ever lived by herself,_ the older girl wondered.

 _Ah, speaking of food, I should get those cream puffs for Arata after this._

Shiori used the provided tongs to check if the meat had cooked or not, turning them over so that both sides were grilled equally.

She was absorbed in her own thoughts though she occasionally gave her input here and there between Kaori and Yukie's conversations.

"Ne, Shiori, you've been pretty friendly with Kuroo and Kenma lately." Yukie pointed out. She stole a piece of cooked meat from the grill, surprising the Maebara.

"Hey! Don't take it so quickly." She scolded. In response to her question, she questioned, "Is that a bad thing?" She had no idea if Yukie meant it a positive or negative way.

"Oh, no, it's not, I mean, you get along with them really well is all I'm saying." She happily ate her food.

"It's almost like you guys are a couple." Kaori chimed in. She waited for Shiori to give her the meat, watching as it landed on her rice.

"A couple? Really? But I don't think relationships work three ways like that." Shiori sent her a puzzled look. Of course, there was such a thing as polygamy, but in the modern world most of the time that's frowned upon.

"Wait, no, no! I meant singularly."

"Oh, then, isn't that what everyone else said about Bokuto and I?"

"Kind of, yeah."

"We're just friends, that's all. I have no intention of becoming a couple with anybody." She grabbed some meat for herself, before getting another roll of pork belly and cutting it up to put on the grill. She added, "Not yet, anyway."

"I'm surprised." Kaori giggled.

"By what?"

"Every other girl seems to care to some extent but you don't care at all." The younger 1st year pointed out with an amused grin.

"I…guess so." She laughed a little hopelessly. It was quite true, and it never struck her as something that she would end up being obsessed with.

"How about this, out of everyone in the volleyball team, who would you date?" Yukie enquired with a mischievous smile.

"That is so strange, coming from you." Shiori laughed. "But I'd probably say you or Kaori, or Konoha or Akaashi." She nodded in agreement with her own thoughts. "Yeah, them."

"Ooh?" Yukie and Kaori's eyes widened just slightly in surprise, then they chuckled cheekily.

"Why is that?" They asked in unison.

"You guys are all responsible, to some extent, and it'll be an easier life having you guys around. You guys can cook, too, so, yeah, and take care of things while I'm gone." Shiori shrugged, "It's as simple as that. Wifey material."

The two managers were a little dumbstruck at how straightforward and non-romantic her answers were.

"I-I see…"

"Why do you guys look like your souls were sucked out of you? Here, have some more meat."

* * *

"…and that's what she said." Yukie pouted as she held her bag strap. She sighed gently, looking to the side to the setter that had listened in on what she had to say.

"You don't need to do this, Shirofuku-san." Akaashi finally spoke after a moment, putting down the drink bottles he helped her carry.

Yukie frowned just slightly, "But I want to help you two along." She confessed. She added with a mumble, "Even if it's not really my business."

Akaashi studied his manager for a moment, then let out a light sigh, "That's a nice thought, but please just don't overdo it."

Yukie paused at his words, then blinked once, twice, and looked at him with wide eyes.

 _Is he saying it's alright to try and help?!_

Seeing her reaction, it caused the setter to stifle a light chuckle, "Thank you for your help."

"Akaashi!" Yukie cried, wanting to hug him. She threw her arms up, but the boy mistakenly thought she wanted double high 5s so he did so.

* * *

"Hello? I'm sorry, who's calling?" Shiori questioned through the phone. She just got an unknown number call her through her mobile, and she had no idea whose it was.

" _ **Shiori-san**_!"

The Maebara creased her brows, wondering why the voice sounded kind of familiar, but not at all. She stayed silent, wondering if the other person would give an elaboration of who they were, but it didn't come.

"Uh…that's me. Who's this?" Shiori nodded slowly, repeating her previous unanswered question.

" _ **Goshiki Tsutomu!**_ _**Don't you remember me?!**_ " The voice almost exploded in her ear.

"T-Tsu-chan?!" She exclaimed, holding the phone away from her. She stared at it, "Is that really you, Tsu-chan?!"

" _ **Yes! Shiori-san, long time no see!"**_ He added after a moment of stumbling words, " _ **Wait, uh, no, I mean, talk, but wait uh—"**_

Shiori broke out in laughter and grinned, "It's been a long time, Tsu-chan! How have you been? I haven't heard from you in a while! Last time I went back, you were busy so I wasn't able to keep in contact with you!"

 _You're still the same as ever, still stuttering over a few words and being the cute little bowl cut you are! Well, at least I think he still has a bowl cut…_ Shiori thought with amusement.

" _ **Sorry, Shiori-san! I had to do volleyball training**_!" Goshiki apologized.

"Don't worry about it! Next time I come over I'll make sure to hang out with you and play volleyball!"

 _Well, not that he'll know that I'm going to go and invade that camp and see him there. I want to see how he's grown._

" _ **I'll show you how much I've improved, Shiori-san! OH! SHIORI-SAN!"**_

"Y-yes?" He was loud, so she had to pull back a little.

" _ **I am attending Shiratorizawa now! The powerhouse school! I'm the up and coming ace! Next time, I'll show you how much I've improved! So, please watch me!**_ "

Shiori's eyes widened with surprise and her lips parted in response to his eager and honest tone. She ended up smiling, giggling lightly. "You're so cute, Tsu-chan! Of course I will. I'd like to see how you've improved!"

" _ **Yes! I will show you what I've been working on!"**_

"Make sure it's not just all talk, Tsu-chan. I have high expectations now."

" _ **I will not disappoint you!"**_

"So, how is Shiratorizawa? I heard from mum that you're in an advanced class. Good job."

" _ **E-eh?! Thank you! I didn't know Masae-san told you this! I have her as my physics teacher!"**_

"Mum tells me a lot of things. How are her classes? She isn't being too harsh on you, is she?"

" _ **N-no! She's a very good teacher!"**_

 _I wonder about that…she's actually pretty strict if I do say so myself. Tsu-chan, I don't know if you're lying or if you're just a masochist…probably neither. He's just being the cute little bean he always is!_

"You sure? She's a pretty strict teacher. If you ever have any trouble just make sure you contact her and tell her what your problems are."

" _ **Ok, Shiori-san!"**_

"So, Tsu-chan, how goes everything? Have you gotten yourself a girlfriend yet?" She teased.

" _ **N-No! I don't have time for one, because I want to focus my career on volleyball!"**_

"Ooh, is that so? Well, I bid you luck for whoever catches your eye!"

" _ **Shiori-san!"**_

She laughed, "Alright, I'll stop. Sorry. So, how did you get my number? I don't recall giving it to you!"

" _ **I got it off my mother. She told me that you were coming for the summer break."**_

"Oh, she did?"

" _ **Yes!"**_

"So that's why you called, huh…"

" _ **Yes!"**_ Goshiki paused a little, causing Shiori to look at the phone at the sudden break. _**"Shiori-san!"**_ He said loudly.

"Y-yes?!" Shiori blinked a couple of times at the suddenness of the loud voice.

 _He seemed to have gotten even louder._

" _ **When you come back for the summer holidays, please come to the Shiratorizawa training camp! I'll show you the results of my training!"**_

"…eh?"

" _ **Please come!"**_

"Wait a moment, Tsu-chan," Shiori quickly got her diary and flipped to when the summer holidays were, where it was marked when she would be going to Shiratorizawa.

 _So Tsu-chan definitely doesn't know I'm going to Shiratorizawa then. Okay._

"Yup, when do you want me to come?"

" _ **I heard that we'll have a guest during one of the days, but I don't know who it'll be! I think you should come on that day, too, because you'll be an honoured guest!"**_

"Stop putting me on a pedestal, Tsu-chan." Shiori sighed lightly. "But sure. I'd like to come see everyone and the boys' team."

 _Alright…that guest is me, so I'm pretty much going to be an honoured guest that's actually the guest? Interesting._

" _ **Really?!"**_ She could just imagine Goshiki's face lighting up like a lightbulb.

"Yes. I'll see you then. I'll make sure to see who this guest is, okay?"

" _ **Are you going to ask Masae-san? I asked her but she said she didn't know."**_

 _Mum, you liar. But thanks, I guess._

" _ **I also asked the coach but he said that I'll find out on the day."**_

"I guess you just have to be patient, Tsu-chan!"

" _ **But I want to see who it is!"**_

"Patience, oh young one!"

Goshiki grumbled something under his breath that Shiori couldn't quite catch _ **. "Shiori-san, are you still playing volleyball? I heard from my seniors that they saw your name in a magazine!"**_

Shiori's smile dropped off her face, changing to a serious one. It was as if everyone around her was telling her to play volleyball, or they noticed that she pushed and kept playing.

"…yeah. I am playing volleyball. But not really competitively. Just as a leisurely hobby right now."

" _ **Oh, really?! Tendou-san and Ushijima-san were talking about you before so I wondered if something was happening."**_

Shiori looked at the phone in astonishment. What could the Guess Monster and Ushi-chan talk about her for?

" _ **Ushijima-san was just talking with Tendou-san and replying to whatever he was saying. I think Tendou-san really wants to see you, Shiori-san."**_ Goshiki made it sound incredibly innocent.

"Uh…I don't mind, but I'm not really in the volleyball scheme anymore so—"

"Shiori-san, please stop saying that and admit that you're planning on going professional sometime." Akaashi cut in and spoke, purposely loud enough so that this 'Tsu-chan' on the other end of the line could hear.

" _ **EH?! Shiori-san, who's that?!"**_ Goshiki sounded alarmed.

"Keiji! Shh! You weren't supposed to tell him that!"

"But there's no harm in telling the truth, right?" The setter didn't look guilty at all.

"Urgh…" Shiori sighed and turned back to the phone, but flicked Akaashi on the forehead gently.

" _ **Shiori-san, is what he is saying true?! Are you going to go pro?!"**_

"Uh, not really, but not not really."

" _ **Shiori-san! I will rise to your level!"**_

"Uh wait—"

" _ **I've got to go now! I have to keep training to get where you are! See you, Shiori-san!"**_

"Don't overtrain—"

And Goshiki Tsutomu hung up.

Shiori stared at her phone for a long moment, at the number that blinked on the screen. She quickly added the new contact and then she turned to Akaashi, glaring at him with a slight pout.

"You weren't supposed to tell him that."

"Is that the Tsu-chan that you were talking about before? The one who you taught volleyball to?" Akaashi cleverly changed the topic of conversation.

Shiori nodded once, "Yeah. He's the one I told you was in Shiratorizawa as their only first year regular. He's a real cutie with a bowl cut, so you'll know him if you ever see a pic of him."

Akaashi stared at her for a moment. "Isn't the day that you're going to Shiratorizawa to observe Tsu-chan the same as the day you're going in for the practice?"

"Yeah, I guess so. Oh well. He doesn't know so it's all good. He's in for a surprise." Shiori chuckled lightly.

She closed her phone and slipped it back into her pocket.

 _Tendou and Ushijima…_ Akaashi thought. _I know Shiori-san knows Ushijima and calls him Ushi-chan, but Tendou…it seems strange that someone would just talk about her when she's been off the radar for so long. Just a hunch, but could this Tendou possibly be 'MiracleBoy'? He did mention that he was close to Shiratorizawa's ace from what I have seen from Shiori and his exchanges._

"Ah!" Shiori suddenly stopped in her steps and clapped her hands together, remembering something she had to do, "I need to go get those cream puffs for Arata!"

"Cream puffs…?" Akaashi repeated.

* * *

"These!" Shiori showed him the cream puffs that she just purchased, along with a few other things from the bakery that she normally visited. "I normally buy stuff from this bakery because what they sell is absolutely delicious! Do you want to try one?" She grinned and shoved the paper bag at him.

Akaashi took one, mumbling a light 'thanks' as he took a bite. He did care for his diet but sometimes he wanted to have something nice and sweet.

"Oh, this is quite nice." He said, nodding with approval.

"I know right?! They're so delicious, especially just after they've come out of the oven! Arata keeps telling me to stop eating them all by myself, but like, I can't really help it." Shiori laughed at herself when she remembered when he caught her eating it by herself.

Akaashi tittered, a small smile on his lips. He finished the rest off, "Do you want to go practice spiking?" He suddenly changed the topic, making the shorter girl turn to him.

She pulled a thinking expression, "Hm…" She honestly didn't feel like spiking, because whenever she did, it reminded her of the sheer number and success of spikes that Bokuto did. "I'd like to try something different."

Akaashi was about to echo her words but instead, he tilted his head slightly to the side in a questioning way.

"I want to set, and you can spike." She put her hands together with a smile. "I don't think I've seen you spike before. I'd like to know what a setter feels when they're tossing to a spiker."

"You've done it before with Arata, haven't you?" The setter quizzed.

He didn't mind, really, but it was really a change of pace. It had been a while since he'd have someone else set for him that wasn't from his team. After all, as the main setter of the team, he'd set for them no matter what.

"I have, but I haven't set to you before." Shiori pointed out.

"Oh. Okay, then." The setter gave her a nod, walking into the sports centre. The girl followed after him.

"Ah, Shiori!"

Both heads turned to the voice, wondering who it was. The voice wasn't familiar.

"Hm?" Shiori raised a brow, looking at the guy that had called out to her with such familiarity.

It was a tall guy with short bleach blonde hair. He had many piercings and a sharp gaze.

 _Is that a delinquent?_ Akaashi and Shiori thought simultaneously.

 _How does he know me?_ Shiori thought.

 _How does he know Shiori-san?_ Akaashi thought.

"What's with those blank faces?" The male made a face and stopped in front of them, then sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed that she didn't recognise him.

"Um…who are you?" Shiori asked point blank. She didn't want to beat around the bush.

"That's a bit cold, isn't it, Shiori-chin?" The bleached one faked tears. "But I get where you're coming from. You probably don't recognise me, ey. I did have quite a bit of a growth spurt and I bleached my hair and all…"

"So, that doesn't explain who you are."

"So brutal. Ouch, you're an ice queen." He sighed, taking a glance at Akaashi, then at her. "Well, I was your neighbour back in Australia before you moved. Do you remember me? Yuma."

"Yuma?" Shiori raised a brow, going back in time with her mental records.

Akaashi stared at the guy who called himself Yuma. He was just a tad taller than he was, maybe around Bokuto's height. Well built, but with a very delinquent look.

 _Is he half foreign?_ He quizzed. _His features don't look fully Japanese._

"OH!" Shiori clapped her hands together, "YUMA! You're _that_ Yuma?! Man, you've grown up!" She laughed and looked the male up and down.

"Took you long enough." Yuma rolled his eyes.

"So why aren't you in Australia? I thought you were going to stay there and swim?" Shiori asked.

Yuma was her neighbour back in Australia. He was one of the people who frequently joined Arata and her when they were playing volleyball in their backyard. They were good friends, up until the Maebara's moved.

"Well, I'm actually studying abroad right now. I'm lucky I landed in a school nearby Tokyo." Yuma explained.

"Oh, you are? I thought you already knew Japanese though."

"I do, but that doesn't stop me from wanting to go abroad."

"So, what are you doing here? You swim, not play these sports."

"I was just checking out the times for different classes. I have other hobbies besides swimming, you know."

"Well, now I know." She laughed and patted his shoulder. "Well, do have fun."

"Yeah, I will." Yuma looked at Akaashi at this time, almost scrutinising him under the microscope. "Who's this? You finally got yourself a boyfriend?"

"Boyfriend? He's just a friend from school. We normally help each other out." Shiori shook her head.

"Oh, really."

"Yeah, really."

"You two look good together." Yuma pointed out, poking Shiori on the forehead.

The two Fukurodani students had no idea what to say in response to that.

Yuma chuckled, then patted the girl's head and waved bye to the boy, "Well, I gotta scram. See you two next time!"

"Oh, uh, bye?" Shiori followed him with her eyes as he exited the place, blinking. That was an unexpected turn of events that left her confused.

"Keiji, let's go in now." Shiori turned back to Akaashi, but was surprised to find that he had a somewhat happy look on his face, his face a little red. "…your ears are red, Keiji."

Akaashi turned to her quickly and spun her around so that she wasn't looking at him, gently pushing her into the centre so that she didn't need to see his somewhat embarrassed expression.

"Yeah, let's start warmups, then, Shiori-san."


	28. raison 27

égoïste

raison #27

* * *

 _Her demeanour changed completely when we started playing volleyball._

Akaashi tossed a volleyball up into the air, then as it came back down, he tossed it again. He was laying on his back on his bed, staring at the ball as it moved.

He was analysing the day's events.

That day, they made it through the qualifiers and slotted themselves into nationals after beating the team that kept stuffing Bokuto. Bokuto had made very good spikes and his condition was good.

However, that was only one problem solved.

Akaashi wasn't a sensitive person, but he did listen to what others thought, their actions and what's happening around him. He was anything but ignorant, and was a very observant person.

That's why, Shiori's condition was confusing to him. She was a good player in her own right and although her technical skills and sense of game were good, it seemed her mentality, though stable, wasn't exactly top notch. By _top notch_ he meant that it seemed like there was always something holding her back from achieving what she could.

 _It's like she's not letting herself go…?_

Akaashi was confused at his own thought. Was it a peer thing? A team thing? Or just a lone wolf thing?

 _Oh, that's right. Shiori's the undisputed champion of serving. She practically has no rivals in terms of control and accuracy, but power there is._

 _Is that the reason why she wants to feel 'that feeling'?_

The longer the 2nd year thought about it, the more questions that popped up into his head.

Should he wait for something to happen, or should he try and move forward and push her to be better?

 _I'm almost starting to think I'm like her coach…_

Akaashi caught the ball and sat up, playing with it as he searched his room in the darkness. He threw it into the basket, landing straight in, and then plopped back onto his bed.

* * *

 **MiracleBoy: I was talking to Wakatoshi-kun today, and we were talking about how Shiori-chan was serving~!**

 **FlyHigh: Oh? Like what?**

 **MiracleBoy: Wakatoshi-kun said that when he saw her last, she was like a budding plant growing into a flower? I dunno if you get it but he likes to use farming terms lol**

 **FlyHigh: haha is that the only thing he said?**

 **MiracleBoy: well, he also said that she was lacking because she wasn't in a place that could allow her to improve at a faster rate. I mean, how could he say that?!**

Shiori didn't text back automatically. She pressed her lips together when she saw the text, a familiar feeling of frustration bubbling up inside of her.

Her brows creased and her lips slowly turned into a frown when she imagined the ever stoic Ushijima saying it to her face.

He had told her something like that before back a few years ago.

 _ **"Why don't you train in an environment that allows you to use your skills? You're better off somewhere else."**_

It was almost like reliving those old memories. She didn't hate Ushijima at all for saying those things because that was what he thought and meant, but because he had said it so outright and easily, it caused her to realise that was something that she really should have done if she didn't want to end up where she was now. However, it could have also gone both ways.

 _Hearing those words second hand from someone really brings back memories, huh…_

The more she dwelled on those words, the more she became frustrated at the fact that nothing seemed to have changed from back then, and she was just running away, albeit not directly.

 _I'm trying, Ushi-chan, but it's hard. You of all people probably won't understand what I mean, but it's a lot easier said than done._

 _ **"Then what are you waiting for?"**_

The Maebara could just imagine those words leaving his lips if she told him about her problem. It was a very direct way of saying: 'be proactive'.

Shiori just laughed. Not a laugh because of joy, but because of the situation she herself put her in.

 _I wonder what he'll say when I go back. Will he compliment me or will he just say something like 'improve power to your serves' or something directed at my weaknesses?_

She stared at her phone, wondering how to reply to MiracleBoy.

 _And Keiji, he's been helping me out so much. I don't want to disappoint him. He sometimes knows what I want to do and acts upon it. I'm lucky to have someone like him as a friend. Otherwise, I don't think I would have gone and done those things, ever._

 _Ah,_ Shiori went to her messages box and went to her messages with Kuroo. She was sure she remembered that he said something about an under 19s girls' team that was looking for new players.

 _...maybe I should try that?_ She thought.

 **FlyHigh: if the ace of Shiratorizawa says that, then doesn't that mean she still lacks something?**

 **MiracleBoy: i dunno?! He also said she wasn't playing volleyball much after middle school, but that if she's in the picture now after a few years, it would mean something? He said he was looking forward to seeing improvement.**

That surprised Shiori. What was she supposed to say in response to that? Ushi-chan wasn't being nice, he was being truthful.

Quite honestly, it made her feel happy that he was looking forward to her improvement.

 **FlyHigh: that's great, isn't it? I heard she appeared in volleyball monthly a few times recently. Though, snippets aren't large.**

 **MiracleBoy: yeah, she was. Wakatoshi-kun was really happy, even if he didn't admit it! The look on his face was priceless! Oh yeah, did you know? Her brother Arata used to go to Shiratorizawa and was one of the starting members! I dunno if he was the ace or not but that's awesome! Kinda runs in the family, right?**

 **FlyHigh: i doubt it, it's probably just hard work. But that does sound pretty cool. Oh, is that why Ushijima was saying that she should come to Shiratorizawa?**

 **MiracleBoy: something like that~! But probably only because of her skills, not her brother. He just said Arata had nothing to do with it!**

 **FlyHigh: i see~ is that so~**

Shiori wondered whether Ushijima had changed too much or not. She doubted he would've, but a little change is inevitable.

 _Who am I kidding, he's like the same, I think._

She paused at her thought, then sighed deeply.

 _The more I keep thinking about this the more frustrated I'm getting. I don't know if I'm going to be happy seeing Ushi-chan after all this time._

 _I should go to sleep._

* * *

Akaashi walked to school, hands shoved into his sports jumper pockets. There was morning practice so he had to go early, and he would go meet with Bokuto to walk together.

As he walked, he let out a yawn.

He got enough sleep last night, but the dream he had was just as tiring as not having any sleep at all.

He closed his eyes for a solid 5 seconds, then breathed out slowly.

 _What was with that dream?_

The dream he had was of Shiori and Bokuto and Kuroo and Kenma, where Kuroo and Shiori had gotten together and were visiting him to give him an invitation for their marriage. Akaashi was living with Bokuto somehow, and had received the invitation, after they came to visit. Needless to say, he was shocked and he didn't know what to feel, but he acted out as gracefully as he normally would, even when he was feeling conflicted.

Even during wedding prep, when he had consulted with her and helped her, even when she was doing dress fittings, and even when she was walking down the aisle, he was there, giving his honest input in things, and watching her with a smile that hid his hurt.

He knows he shouldn't be thinking of these things, but he just can't help it sometimes. It's a worry he has, and it probably wouldn't disappear anytime soon.

 _This is bad…_

Of course, it was only a comment directed at his own thoughts. Maybe he was just worried about something he probably didn't need to worry about.

He stopped in his steps, standing still for a moment.

 _I should stop thinking about that. Future's not certain, but…_

"Akaashi!" Bokuto's voice rung out from in front of him, and he looked up to see the ace running towards him.

"...the present is still here." Akaashi murmured.

When Bokuto stopped where Akaashi was, he spoke with a tilt of the head, "What did you say?"

The setter just shook his head, "It's nothing."

 _Yeah. The present is still here._

* * *

When Shiori had woken up, the frustration she felt had built up further. Not only did it not fade from the previous night, but it seemed to get stronger, all because of a dream that she had. It wasn't a made up dream but rather one that made her think, 'so this is what happened'. It was almost a montage of all that made her annoyed, starting from her middle school teammates to Ushijima, then to Bokuto. In bits and pieces, it was like a puzzle that had come together from a thousand pieces.

 _Deep breaths…_

She tried to control herself, calm her expressions. She looked like she was angry, and before getting out of the house Arata and her father had commented on why she had looked so angry. She didn't respond to them and merely gave them a nod and smile, then told them that she was leaving.

But, no matter how much regret she felt for dismissing people so quickly and easily, it would just turn into frustration and anger.

 _This is just me. Great, now I feel like I want to hit something. Play some volleyball, hit something hard—_

She didn't even realise that she had walked into a pole.

* * *

"Shiori!" Bokuto cheered when he saw her at the club room. "Shirofuku! Akaashi!"

She was with Yukie, both having just finished changing. Akaashi was behind them, eating an onigiri.

"You're early for once, Bokuto." Yukie and Akaashi both pointed out.

Shiori blinked at him, then sent a small smile his way, "You're certainly chipper today."

Akaashi glanced at Shiori. Apart from the red mark on her head (that he later found out was of her running into a pole), he felt something was off. Maybe it was just his instincts or feel for things, but he was certain something was up. Even during lunch she seemed less bright than usual.

 _I'll just keep a little watch for now. It'll be bad if things get a bit nasty._

"Are you helping us out today, Shiori?!" Bokuto asked.

She nodded, "Yeah."

Bokuto cheered, not really worrying too much about a short answer, and started changing. Shiori walked out first, followed by Yukie and Akaashi who exchanged glances.

As they headed down the clubroom stairs they bumped into other members of the club, who were all holding their bags to get in and change for club. Greetings were exchanged, with only short answers from the helper server.

It was silent the whole time; the walk to the stadium. Normally they would chat about things, but this time, it was just silent.

Yukie looked at Akaashi, as if talking with her eyes 'What's wrong with Shiori?'

Akaashi would do the same, 'I don't know, she didn't talk to me.'

'I wonder if something happened.'

'Probably, if she's like this.'

"Ah, Maebara-kun," The coach had called her when she entered the gym, leaving the other two members to watch their interaction.

When she came back, she had an unreadable expression. It was like she was concentrated on something very hard, almost like she was in game.

"I'm going to start warmups now." She told the setter and manager and left to do some preliminary jogging.

"It's really like something's wrong." Yukie watched Shiori worriedly. She averted her eyes to Akaashi, who nodded in agreeance.

"I'm not sure what's bothering her. But, I do have a hunch."

"Shiori! WAIT UP!" Bokuto's shout could be heard from everywhere in the gym. He had finished changing at an astounding pace, and went to go jog with his female friend, almost like it was a competition.

"What did the coach ask of Shiori-san?" Akaashi asked, glancing to his manager.

"He was asking her to stay for a little bit longer to help out the younger players today as well." Yukie explained.

"I see." The setter's eyes took to the female volleyball player, seeing her run laps.

If it was up to intuition, Akaashi was good at noticing the small things and feeling whether something was off or not.

Currently, Bokuto was good, but he wasn't sure about Shiori.

"I'm going to start warmups." Akaashi announced, going off to follow his captain and crush.

* * *

 _What is with her today? She's all over the place!_ Komi thought with creased brows.

He watched the volleyball hit her hand and fly over the net, hitting the ground just after the attack line, an easy reach for the libero. When it arrived back to the other side, he waited for another serve, but it didn't come his way.

"Wha...?" his eyes followed the ball as it flew out of the court, hitting the ground with a bounce that echoed throughout the gym.

"Next one!" Bokuto shouted, ready to receive.

Komi withdrew a breath of air and waited. Normally she aimed at him because he was the libero and receiving was their forte and she wanted to fortify that, but at this time, there wasn't any that came his way. Rather, they flew out of the court, out of bounds, a few more times more than necessary.

Komi and the team weren't the only ones who were surprised. When she missed, Shiori's expression changed.

The coach clapped his hands and blew his whistle. "Maebara-kun! Let's take a break!"

He blew the whistle yet again, as if trying to snap the players out of their surprise. The players stayed on the court, out of their stances, watching Shiori.

"Shiori—" Yukie started, taking a step forward.

Bokuto loudly exclaimed, "Oi, oi, Shiori! What's up with you today?" He started to run over to her.

 _Geh! Bokuto, don't say that when she looks so angry!_ Yukie hissed mentally.

Shiori was strangely still, and when he placed a hand on her shoulder, she hit it away abruptly and strongly, quietly walking away outside.

The gym was silent for the minute after she left. Bokuto stared at the door, then at his hand and the red sting, eyes a little wide.

Akaashi pressed his lips together. He packed up the volleyballs and just as he was picking up the last ball, Bokuto had gone outside.

Like Bokuto, the setter also wanted to check on her. He quickly packed up and headed out, finding that Shiori and Bokuto were at the back of the gym conversing.

It would be an understatement to say that he wasn't worried. He was worried because this was probably the first time that she wasn't 'meh' (as she'd put it). She never really revealed an expression that was different to her usual happy, annoyed, nonchalant ones, so something was definitely up.

* * *

It was like dragon breath that ragged breaths came from between Shiori's lips.

Her brown eyes widened when her throw was off, causing her hit to go off when she erred. It was a very foreign feeling to her; the feeling of a serve not going well. Normally she would be able to change it so that it would succeed well, but this time, it was like she wasn't able to.

When she was younger and learning the sport of volleyball, it was hard to get something like a serve right—it took many failures and few successes to many successes and few failures to get where she was now.

She had built up a momentum that wouldn't allow her to fail because of all the hard work and repetition that had gone into it.

But, it was fact that she failed. She wasn't a God at it; she was only human.

And humans are capable of errors.

Shiori felt beads of sweat roll off her face and back, and the stares aimed at her that felt like the sharpened daggers from middle school.

 _How many did I just fail? Was that 5 in a row? They all went where I didn't want them to go._

 _Am I failing? Why aren't I succeeding?_

"Shiori-"

 _No, don't talk to me._

"Oi, oi, oi Shiori! What's up with you today?"

Steps, then, a hand on the shoulder.

 _DON'T TOUCH ME!_

Shiori went outside immediately after, a sinking feeling instantly taking over her. She swallowed and went to the back of the gym, trying to relieve her anger.

She didn't mean to do that to Bokuto. She never meant to hit him so harshly. But, she did, and that was her own fault.

She clenched her molars and frowned at herself for not being able to control her emotions.

 _Why am I like this?_

She heard steps behind her.

 _Useless._

She knew who it was.

"Bokuto, I think you should go back." Shiori spoke with a slightly aggressive tone, surprising the wing spiker.

"Why? I'm just checking if you're okay." The ace said dumbly, rubbing the spot where she hit him.

"I'm fine." She said curtly.

"...well you don't look fine." The owl pointed out. "Is it because you missed all those serves?"

Shiori opened her mouth to snap at him but she closed it because she knew he was right. "What of it?"

"You don't normally miss serves. Did something happen?" Bokuto took a step closer, as if testing the waters.

Shiori just glanced at him with a hardened look, lips pressed together. "Nothing happened."

 _Leave._

"Hey, that doesn't look like it's nothing." The captain took another, getting a little annoyed that she was being like this. He wanted the normal Shiori back, the one that he could crack jokes and have fun with.

"I _said_ it's _nothing_ , so just _leave_ already!" She finally snapped.

"I don't think it's 'nothing' if you're like this!" Bokuto grabbed her shoulders. "Is it because of me or something?! I know I do some stupid things, but if it is, then I'm sorry!"

Shiori tried to remove his hands from her shoulders, but his grip was like steel so she just gave up.

 _No, it's not your fault, Kou._

"What did I do wrong?! I won't know if you don't tell me! I—"

"It's not you I'm angry at, Kou!" She finally had enough. She didn't want to keep bottling up what she was feeling; bottling up everything. If she kept it up, lots of people would have gotten hurt, most of all her best friends.

"What?" Bokuto echoed his 'what' again, surprised. The grip on her shoulders loosened and she tore his arms off her.

All this time he thought he had done something wrong because it seemed she was angry at him.

"I'm angry at myself!" She clenched her hands and stared at Bokuto, facing him head on. "When I see you, I, I—" She shook her head and her brows knitted together, almost as if she was sad and angry at the same time. Her hands went by her sides, "I realise how I'm not good enough." Her voice went small.

It was a confession she didn't expect even herself to make, and it was a sentence that made her feel very vulnerable.

Bokuto's thick brows rose in astonishment that those words were coming right out of her mouth. He didn't really believe that she actually said that—considering she was one of the people that he considered as a top notch volleyball player.

"Not good enough?" Bokuto echoed her choice of words, not sure if he liked he taste of it on his tongue.

Yeah, he hated how it sounded.

"What do you mean _not good enough_?" Bokuto raised a brow, unsure if he had any idea of the meaning behind those words. In his eyes, she was good enough for many things.

Shiori looked at him in disbelief, as if she had no idea that he didn't know. She studied him, searching his big owlish eyes to see if he was really asking truthfully and if he really didn't know.

And finally, she said, "I'm not even good at volleyball."

 _Bokuto, why?_

Bokuto blinked a couple of times. Then, his eyes widened and he exclaimed, "What?! Are you serious?! You're good at it!"

"I'M SERIOUS, BOKUTO!" She raised her voice at him, nearly making the eavesdroppers jump. "What good is it if I'm mediocre at the rest of volleyball but only good at one thing?! And, even that one thing, that one thing, it—I'm not good enough! There's always something that I'm lacking! There's always something that I'm inferior!"

"Wait hold on—"

"And, not just that, I don't get it, I really don't! As much as I love volleyball, when I look at you playing, I miss the me that used to get excited over small and silly plays, the me that used to get excited over a service ace! Now all I am is some emotionless person who can't feel anything when it comes to stuff like this…"

Bokuto just watched as she snapped, and everything came pouring from her lips. He couldn't hide his shocked look, but he listened to her.

"I'm lacking so much! And I'm not improving at all, even with the help of so many people! I'm not like you, Bokuto. I'm not strong like you, I don't improve at a fast rate like you anymore," Shiori felt her eyes tear up. She was getting emotional, all because of her love of this one sport. She averted her eyes away from the male, "I'm jealous of you, how you have all the qualities I don't, when it comes to volleyball."

"You, jealous of me?" Bokuto pointed to her, then he pointed to himself, with the most bewildered of expressions. "Are you serious?" His voice was full of disbelief.

"Does it look like I'm lying?!"

Bokuto laughed and shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, it's just that I didn't expect you to be jealous of me of all people! Like, I know I'm awesome and all, but I didn't think you'd think that way. Especially in volleyball no less."

Shiori wiped the side of her eye so that the tear wouldn't fall. "And why not?"

"Well, you're a pretty awesome player too, so I thought we were both kinda awesome? Like," He thought for a moment, then nodded and continued on, "even if your other plays aren't as good as your serves, who's to say that they're the worse? You're being too hard on yourself." He pointed at his own heart, "Like, you know that team that kept blocking my crosses and how I got them back real good with a line shot? Yeah, I was so frustrated and I worked my ass off to get it to work in game."

He pointed to his head, "It's all in the head, you know? I thought I was bad if they kept blocking me. But, I got past them. So, I'm pretty sure you'll be able to get past whatever is holding you back, too. Frustration is part of the game, you know? So if you're so angry about this, doesn't that mean you just want to be a better player?"

"Not to mention, you say you haven't been improving, but that's just your opinion. We think you've improved. Remember that spike you did?! That was awesome! How could you have forgotten that? And all those serves you keep giving us, from day 1 to now, they have also improved! I can guarantee that! Komi can as well!"

"So no, you're not bad. You're just saying that to yourself because you think you need to improve even more to keep up, like I get you, I really do! But instead of bottling up those feelings you have," He pointed to her, "Use it to play more volleyball!"

Shiori opened her mouth to say something in response, but nothing came out. Instead, her eyes started overflowing with tears, and they fell down her cheeks like cascading waterfalls.

"Huh?!" Bokuto gasped when he saw her cry. He stiffened, then he relaxed as he took a step closer, "Hey, hey, hey are you okay?!"

"I'm…fine," She started laughing, wiping the tears as she smiled.

"Why are you laughing and crying at the same time?" Bokuto was clueless.

"It's just, I feel like a weight's been lifted off my shoulders." She confessed. She snorted, and then laughed harder because it sounded like something between a hiccup and a snort. "Thanks, Koutarou."

Bokuto looked a little surprised, then he blinked a few times, and his cheeks slowly reddened into a blush. He rubbed the back of his head, laughing a little, "I didn't do anything."

"You've done a lot, already. Thank you for being here."


	29. raison 28

égoïste

raison #28

* * *

The rest of the team had actually eavesdropped on the whole thing that happened outside and behind the gym. The whole outburst that Shiori had and Bokuto's way of calming her down.

"I know you guys are there." Shiori looked towards the side of the gym, behind the edge, where heads poked out. They belonged to the other members of the team.

"Eep! Sorry!" Yukie squealed, clasping her hands together in apology.

"Sorry." The other members of the team chimed in, some rubbing the back of their heads and others mimicking Yukie's position.

"It's fine. Sorry for my outburst earlier." Shiori apologized, bowing a little in apology. She wiped the remnants of her tears and sniffed, giving them a smile afterwards. "I'm fine now, so let's go back."

Akaashi stared at her for a moment. She certainly did look better in the aspect that it didn't seem like things were bothering her anymore, but it also seemed like she wasn't because she was just crying.

 _Now that I think about it, this is the first time I've seen her crying,_ the setter thought.

"Okay, then." Akaashi stood up from where he was squatting. "The coach will yell at us if we're out here for too long. We have to prepare for Nationals."

"Oh yeah, you guys are going to go to Nationals!" Shiori clapped a couple of times, "Urgh, sorry for hindering your practice. I'll do even better this time!"

Komi grinned and crossed his arms, "Shiori, make sure you don't hit it out of bounds this time! Make it hard to get, okay?!"

The girl made a face when the libero mentioned her blunder, but nodded and stretched her arms, her mind made up. "Yeah, okay! Let's do this!"

* * *

"When I said hard to get, I didn't mean you aiming for me every single time!" Komi was complaining to Shiori, but she was getting a good laugh out of it.

"But you're the libero, so you should really get most of them, right? Receiving is your thing!" She grinned. She twirled the ball around in her fingers, then threw it at the 3rd year. He caught it and threatened to throw it back at her, but she caught it even when he followed through with that threat.

The rest of the team laughed as they bickered. Shiori was back to normal again, and it seemed like she was doing better than when she had previously.

 _So it really was a mental thing. At least it's better than Bokuto-san's emo mode,_ Akaashi stretched his legs, reaching over easily with his medium-high level of flexibility.

They were finished with practice, and thus had started to do stretches and cooldowns.

 _If it's okay now, then is she okay?_ Akaashi could just remember her tears, the ones shed from sheer frustration. If she had been holding that in for such a long time, would she let it go so easily? He wouldn't know.

 _She looks fine…I guess I'll just ask later. If it wasn't Bokuto who cheered her up I wonder if she would have felt better,_ Akaashi leaned on his bent arms, slowly breathing in and out to make sure he was stretching properly and within his limits.

 _If it was me—_

A negative train of thought went through his head, making his eyes narrow just slightly. He exhaled and let it go, trying to not think of it.

 _Bokuto is just naturally like that, so it makes sense,_ as Akaashi's thoughts drifted to the ace, his eyes went to him. He was stretching too, but he was talking to Yukie about something. He occasionally looked towards Akaashi's way, but he had no idea why, because he didn't feel like he was looking at him.

 _Who's he looking at?_

He turned his head in confusion when he felt a weight on his back; a pair of hands that were pushing him down further.

"Shiori-san, I can't stretch any more than this." Akaashi tried to counter her push by pushing against the ground. He wasn't surprised that she was there, but she was soundless so it made sense as to why Bokuto was looking his way. He was watching Shiori sneaking up on him, not him.

"Can you go on your elbows?" She questioned with a curious face, her hands going from his back to his shoulders.

The setter just stared at her for a moment, contemplating whether or not to do it. He could, but that would just prove that he was lying earlier.

In response to his silence, she tapped her fingers against his collarbone, like she was playing a piano's consecutive keys.

"You can't lie to me, Kei—ji!" She sang his name in a sing song voice and giggled, patting his head and relieving him of her weight. "I normally see you stretch even further than that."

 _I was caught._

Akaashi opened his mouth to say something, but stopped when Shiori's hands went back to his upper back, pushing him down yet again. She was pushing down a lot harder this time, forcing the male to go on his elbows like he could.

"Wait, Shiori-san—" Akaashi wasn't ready to stretch that far yet.

"Sorry, Keiji." She spoke in a small voice, only enough for him to hear.

"Huh?" He expressed sincere surprise.

"I'm sorry for worrying you." She smiled apologetically at him.

The 2nd year could just barely see her from the side.

"Hey, hey, hey, what are you two whispering about over there?" Bokuto questioned loudly, bringing attention to them. He looked at them with childlike interest.

Shiori was quick to jump back up to a standing position, letting Akaashi come back to a more comfortable pose.

"It's nothing, really. I was just helping him stretch. Keiji's quite flexible."

"Yeah, I know right?" Bokuto was quick on the uptake of the conversation. "I think it's because he stretches and takes care of his body a lot that he doesn't get many injuries."

"Oh, that's true. I've never seen you injured before, Keiji." Shiori turned to see him stretch another side of his body whilst standing up.

"I'm lucky to not have many injuries." The setter nodded.

"Ooh, you should be more like him, Kou!" Shiori slapped Bokuto's shoulder with a laugh when he shot her an angry look.

"HEY! I barely get any (for now) either!" He complained.

"Yeah, yeah, I heard you." Shiori waved him off, but then apologized when he showed annoyance, laughing when he made his comments.

Once everyone was done stretching, they went their separate ways to go home in the evening. Bokuto, Akaashi and Shiori mainly went the same way, so they walked together at a leisurely pace.

Bokuto and Shiori were talking about various things, almost like every other time. Akaashi would occasionally chime in with a one liner, and listen to them talk. It had been a long time since he felt that there wasn't any tension at all.

He was happy that Shiori and Bokuto were getting along fine, and that Shiori seemed to have snapped out of whatever was eating at her.

 _That's good,_ Akaashi thought with a satisfied small smile. That was one thing he didn't need to worry about.

But, that smile disappeared when he realised there was another that he had to worry about. In the reflection of the pole's curve, a shadow had been following them from since they had entered the neighbourhood.

He remembered the day when Shiori and he were walking home, and he saw a shadow. He also remembered how she spoke of someone attacking her, and how she wants to deal with it herself.

His brows knitted together slightly as he passed the pole, eyes going to the next one to keep an eye on the shadow.

But, it wasn't there anymore.

Akaashi's eyes narrowed. He kept his calm. He searched around any areas in the reflection that the shadow could've gone for a hiding place. But, the shadow didn't appear anymore.

 _Did they leave?_

Bokuto hugged Shiori in a big, warm bear hug that made her make a funny sound in suffocation, protesting because it was still warm out.

"See you tomorrow!" He waved at them goodbye and left towards his own street while laughing at his friend's reluctance for such a big hug.

Shiori let her hand fall to her side after she waved to Bokuto, turning around to Akaashi, who was doing the same. His looked at her, seeing her smile at him brightly, waiting for him to catch up to her.

"What're you doing walking so slowly?" She asked.

Akaashi glanced back at the pole, seeing nothing, and then caught up with the girl. He wondered if that shadow would appear again, and hoped that it didn't. Otherwise, he'd probably crack it.

"It's nothing," The setter replied. He went to her side, walking at her pace.

"Hm…okay then." She hummed a light response, looking towards the sun setting in the distance.

It was getting cooler and darker, but the colours that came with it were wonderful. It had been a while since she had really appreciated the natural, everyday occurring thing, and it was more dazzling today than it was before.

 _Maybe I just had too much on my mind,_ she thought, remembering the day's events. She was shocked that she even blew up that much, much less at Bokuto.

 _It's different. It feels safer,_ she ended up thinking, and absentmindedly, she just stared at the sky, reminiscing of everything that had happened so far.

Akaashi couldn't help but stare. The orange backlight from the sunset really made her stand out, illuminating her side profile, almost like she wasn't from earth at all.

Nothing went through his mind; he just stared. It was something that didn't need to be said at all, or thought at all, in this moment, because he just understood it so well.

Akaashi's hand reached to where her head was, wanting to touch her, but, at the last moment before he could, he caught himself. His hand froze, then went back to where his pocket was.

 _What am I doing?_ He thought with a mental sigh.

"Hey, Keiji," Shiori started off her words slowly, turning to the younger male with a curious look. "So when should I come over for dinner?"

"Huh?" Akaashi blinked a couple of times in surprise, then went silent, trying to figure out what she was talking about. Then he let out an "Oh," realising what she meant.

"Mum said anytime was fine, depending on when you were free." He started feeling a little nervous—she was going to go to his house for dinner. By herself.

 _Stupid, there's nothing to be nervous about._

"How about this weekend then?" She suggested.

"Alright." He nodded in agreeance. He found that he was feeling a little bit happier because it was going to be a fun experience.

"I'd love to meet the one who raised such a wonderful boy," She teased him with a grin, reaching up to mess up his hair.

He unconsciously crouched just a little bit to allow her to reach easier, which Shiori noticed. She didn't mention it at all, but just smiled, because she really liked the feel of his hair, and the fun in him that lots of people weren't able to see.

"I'll be looking forward to it!" She let the male go and did a little skip, going back to the casual conversations they had while walking home.

* * *

" **Wait, why are you so close to so many guys?!** " Oikawa Tooru was on the phone with Shiori right now, somehow managing to find her at the right time to complain about his now ex-girlfriend.

"I'm just friends with them, Tooru-chan! Chill out!"

" **I'm here to complain about my ex-girlfriend,** _ **not**_ **to hear you talk about your guy friends!"** He sounded squeaky and it was actually kind of hilarious.

"It's your own fault for having so many girlfriends that you're not really interested in." Shiori sighed and crossed her legs, tapping her pen against the desk. She was trying to do some lists for stuff that were upcoming, along with stuff she'd need to pack. It wasn't too long until it was the holidays.

" **Well it's not my fault that they break up with me because I'm so committed to volleyball!"** Tooru's words were almost like a hiss.

"Tooru, calm down. It's not like they hate you or anything. They're probably jealous some ball gets more love than they are."

" **Well if they really liked me then they shouldn't complain about that!"**

"Listen, little one, you just don't understand a fragile girl's heart."

" **I LIKE HOW YOU'RE SAYING THAT!"**

"That's mean. Don't say that to your senior dummy."

" **You're only a few days older than me dammit!"**

"If the girls knew you were like this I wonder if they'd still date you."

" **Are you trying to pick a fight?"**

"Nah, not really."

" **Hmph! So, you excited to come back?"**

"Yeah, I am." Shiori wasn't fazed at his change of topic at all. It was quick, but this was what their conversations were usually. "I have a few things planned then."

" **Sounds good. Iwa-chan was complaining to me that you wanted to be introduced to the team. Are you serious?"**

"Yeah, sure, why not? It's not like they're gonna be bad people, right?"

Oikawa was silent for a long while, before he let out a long sigh. **"…we'll see."**

"Hm?" Shiori looked at the phone strangely. Were both Iwa-chan and Tooru-chan hiding things from her?

 _Well, it's not like I won't find out when I go._

"So do you still want me to help with your volleyball stuffs?"

" **Oh yeah, sure."**

"On the same topic, can you help me with mine as well? I want to land stronger ones."

" **Even stronger?! You're a beast,** " He laughed.

"As if you aren't." She laughed along with him. "We're probably just some dumb pair of volleyball idiots."

" **Yeah!"**

"Just like Ushi-chan."

" **LIKE USHIWAKA?!"**

"Yeah. He's a volleyball idiot too."

" **Don't talk about him."** He almost growled.

"Okay, okay. Instead, I'll talk about Iwa-chan the Great."

" **I KNEW IT! Why do you like Iwa-chan the most—"**

"Okay, bye Tooru-chan! I'll talk to you next time!"

And she hung up on him. When he got like that he wouldn't shut up, and she wouldn't be able to continue with what she was doing.

"Damn, Tooru sure is annoying as always." Arata made his way into the large living space, heading to the fridge to get some cold tea.

"You were eavesdropping?"

"Nah, I could hear you all the way from my room. Do you know how loud you were?"

"I was speaking normally?"

"Exactly."

"Says you. I can hear you talking to Mum from inside your room. You're the same."

"At least I'm not as loud as you!"

"You two, go to bed." The father Maebara opened his door and gave them a disapproving look, "It's 12am."

"S-sorry…"

* * *

"Oh! So she's coming this weekend? That's so exciting!" Akaashi's mother clasped her hands together and gave a smile, happy that things were coming along.

"Mother, you don't need to be so excited over this…" Keiji sat on the couch, reading his Dad's note. He was on a business trip and would be back soon.

 _He won't be there for the dinner, then,_ he thought. _Oh well._

"Should you dress up? Or should I dress up? Or both?"

Keiji heard his mother mumbling things here and there in an excited flurry, making him sweat drop.

She was more excited about this than he was.

"Mother, it's fine; we don't need to do anything too fancy. She's fine with whatever." Keiji tried to explain to his mum, but it seemed it didn't get through to her head.

"Fancy!"

"Mother, no!"

* * *

"Why are you calling me this late, you owl?" Kuroo groggily woke up from his phone ringing at 1am in the morning. He had practice early that day, and he wondered why Bokuto would call. "It better be something important."

" **Kuro, I just realised something!"** Bokuto sounded spooked from the other end of the phone line, which made the cat raise a brow.

"What?" He wasn't going to take his shit if he needed to rest.

" **I think I'm being haunted!"**

Kuroo didn't even reply and hung up on the owl, putting the phone on the side. He made an irritated expression when his phone rang again, from the same person.

"What?!" He exasperatedly picked it up. "I need to rest too you know!"

" **Sorry,"** Bokuto sounded like he was moping, **"I just saw this weird shadow outside my window!"**

"It's probably a rat or something."

" **No, it was a person! Like, they were kind of just standing there and it was creepy! Then, when I looked again they were gone?!"**

Kuroo knitted his brows together, trying to think. "Okay, uh, it's probably you seeing things."

" **NO, I don't think I'm seeing things! It's real, I swear! I was up thinking because I realised that I really like Shiori and then I looked out the window and there they were and then** —"

"What?" It took a long moment for all his friend was saying to go through to his head. "Okay, okay, hold up, let's talk about this tomorrow, and sleep first."

" **Huh, uh, okay."** Bokuto was quick to agree.

Kuroo hung up and when he went back to bed, quickly falling asleep.

* * *

"Did I hear you right last night?" Kuroo wondered, looking at the owl. Bokuto was walking with him and Kenma home that day so that they could talk, whilst Akaashi and Shiori walked together as usual.

Kenma was playing his game, not even bothering to look at the two taller captains. But, he was listening in.

"What did I say, what?" Bokuto questioned dumbly.

Kuroo pushed his hair out of his face, but it went back to normal position, which annoyed him slightly. He just left it. "You said you someone was haunting you or something."

"OH YEAH, THAT!" It was like a lightbulb moment went off for the owl. "They were literally outside my window once and was really close, but then they were far away after. Creepy." He shivered, remembering the details.

"What the…?" Kuroo made a funny face, "Don't you close your curtains at night? Are you sure you saw that?"

"I _did_ have them closed! But you know how you can like see stuff kinda from underneath but not really, and a little on the side? I saw some weird shadow and then went to look and they weren't there anymore." Bokuto made a confused expression, "I'm still confused, man; I don't even know what the hell happened."

Kuroo thought for a moment, "You sure you weren't dreaming?"

"I wasn't dreaming!" Bokuto frowned, stuffing his hands into his pockets. He pouted, bottom lip protruding, frustrated that his good friend wasn't believing him.

"Okay, okay, let me get this straight, someone was there outside your window and you don't know who it was, and you were awake at night because you were thinking about Shiori, right?" Kuroo summarized everything he had heard and everything the owl had repeated.

Bokuto nodded, "That's right!"

Kenma clicked away on his gaming console, "I don't thinks she likes anyone," He said after a moment.

Kuroo's brows raised when he heard his childhood friend speak up. It was a strange thing, Kenma wouldn't normally show interest in many things besides games. Maybe it was because she was related to games that he showed interest.

The rooster haired captain was about to make a comment that spoke about someone he _knew_ who had a crush on her, but he stopped himself because Bokuto was right next to him.

"Yeah, she said so before," The owl was surprisingly mellow about it; it was like he expected it. He rubbed the back of his neck, gathering his thoughts.

He certainly did quite like the girl, but he was unsure of what action to take but step back. It's not that she doesn't like him, but rather that if he tried, he was surely going to get eaten alive by a few others.

If he was in his emo mode, he would be sputtering nonsense about how he was the worst person alive, but right now he was in his right mind.

 _Ah,_ Bokuto was usually someone who didn't really think too much about how other's perceived him or how he was an obnoxious but good hearted idiot, or how the atmosphere was. But at this moment, he realised something, something he would have overlooked if he didn't come to realisation to what he had been thinking and feeling.

 _DOESN'T YUKIE LIKE SHIORI TOO?!_

Mentally freaking, the ace could imagine the female growing fangs and lurching herself onto him to rip his neck into two. He mentally screamed because the manager could become scary; sweating on the outside.

Kuroo raised an eyebrow, wondering what went on in the dumb owl's head.

 _He probably thought of something stupid again,_ he wanted to laugh but he couldn't bring himself to. It was then that Kuroo's phone buzzed, and he checked it quickly.

 **Shiori: Hey, are you free to meet up anytime soon?**

Kuroo stared at it with a surprised expression.

… _huh?_


	30. raison 29

égoïste

raison #29

* * *

"SHIORI!" Bokuto spread out his arms for a big bear hug, almost throwing himself onto the smaller volleyball player.

"WHAT THE HELL, KOU?!" Shiori couldn't even react when he had wrapped his arms around her shoulders, holding her like he would a precious stuffed toy. She poked him several times around his sides to let go, which he did, in a fit of laughter.

Yukie watched with a bland expression like always, wondering why there was such a commotion in the morning. Alas, it was pretty normal for the two.

 _Just that,_ the manager looked at Bokuto, who was grinning all shades of happiness, go back to his seat, _it feels different._

Shiori felt that something was different, too, but she dismissed it as the mood of the day. She wasn't going to go into itty bitty details about something she probably wouldn't need to know much about. So instead, she focused on doing well for her final exams before summer break.

 _Oh shit,_ it suddenly dawned on her, _final exams._

When the teacher mentioned it, the whole class's enthusiasm levels dropped to an all-time low, with the atmosphere becoming heavy.

 _I've been focusing so much on volleyball and eating cream puffs that I've barely studied!_ Shiori realised, staring at the edge of the desk in focus.

Bokuto had his head on the desk, mumbling something whilst in his emo mode.

Yukie had her usual critter like smile, and she brought her ruler out to poke Shiori's back, "Tutor me and I'll tutor you." And only got a small nod in response, making her shoulders relax in relief.

"So none of you have studied for your final exams?" Akaashi questioned, eating an onigiri. He had just started eating after coming into the classroom for lunch. His seniors were all complaining about the final exams that were at the end of the week.

Konoha was the first one to reply, with a straight up, honest, "Nope."

Shiori shook her head, "I was only eating cream puffs and watching volleyball videos and doing that kind of stuff." She laughed lightly, but there was no emotion behind it.

 _You too? But you somehow still manage to tutor me in English?_ Akaashi wondered what was up with that.

Yukie smiled, "I did a little bit, probably more than the two here but not as much as I would've liked."

Bokuto was the last to answer, and the expression he had on his face was like a stone statue. He drawled, "The teacher said that if I didn't get over 40% I would have to sit out of the training camp and do supplementary lessons…"

Komi, who happened to come in at that time, slapped Bokuto on the back, "Cheer up, all you just need to do is study a little bit!"

Bokuto groaned, "I don't wanna study! I just wanna play volleyball!"

"But you won't get to if you don't study." Akaashi sighed. "All you need to get is over 40, so it should be fine."

"But the exams are in a couple of days' time?!" The owl protested, nervously thinking about the amount of all-nighters he would have to pull to get his desired score.

Shiori realised, while Bokuto was talking, that if she failed any, she would have to stay back in Tokyo to do supplementary exams whilst the rest of her family would be up in Miyagi.

 _Ah, man, I have to pass it all, too, or else I'll be blacklisted by Shiratorizawa…should I get Arata to tutor me?_

"Shiori-san, you're a bit pale," Akaashi noticed that the girl wasn't as energetic as usual. He unconsciously brought his hand to her forehead, feeling for her temperature.

This made the table silent as he did so, more so from the shock of him actually doing something like that.

"It's probably heatstroke or something," Shiori guessed, feeling the setter's cold hand on her forehead. It was comfortable, because it was a hot day.

Akaashi took his hand away, then after a moment of realisation that everyone was looking at him, he asked, "What?"

"You're like a mum." Bokuto commented as-a-matter-of-factly.

Akaashi gave him a look while the others laughed at the similarity.

"Kind of," Shiori grinned, "But it's nice to be cared for as gently as he does." She added, "Plus, his hands are cold."

At the mention of cold hands, the others were quick to take his hands to see if they really were. While they were talking about how good it would be to have cold hands in summer, Akaashi wanted to bathe in his embarrassment.

His seniors were always like this, and he knew Shiori was too, but he just couldn't put up his nonchalant attitude every time, since she was so unpredictable.

 _I'm never going to live this down._

* * *

Bokuto stared at Akaashi's hands, remembering the stuff that happened at lunch. They were walking home together, because Shiori had gone to chill with Kuroo.

 _Shiori said his hands were cold, and they were…_ Bokuto had a thinking face on, which was different to his other ones.

Akaashi was aware, and he wondered exactly why the ace was staring at his hand. Was there something on them? Or was he just looking? It was kind of strange how he just stared at them for who knows how long, without speaking a word.

"Bokuto-san, is there something on my hand?" The setter finally asked.

"No?" Bokuto phrased it like a question. Akaashi just gave him his usual nonchalant look before not caring anymore.

 _Wait a minute, can it be—his hands are bigger than mine?!_ Bokuto wondered.

He continued staring at the hand, prompting the younger male to ask, "What is it, Bokuto-san?" in an exasperated tone.

"Are your hands bigger than mine?" Bokuto went straight to the question.

Akaashi, not in the least surprised, brought his hand up to compare. Bokuto placed it with his and, the palms were almost the same, but Akaashi's fingers were longer.

"What?! Your hands _are_ bigger than mine!" The ace was shocked at finding out the fact.

"That's nothing to be surprised about, Bokuto-san."

"It isn't?"

"No, not really."

"Oh…" Bokuto trailed off for a moment, then he clapped his hands together after remembering that he should tell him about the night before. "Oh, oh, Akaashi! Last night when I was about to go to sleep, there was someone at my window, and when I went to look there wasn't anyone there, but they were kinda far away, but then I blinked and they weren't there anymore! It was so creepy!"

Akaashi just brushed it off, "Bokuto-san, are you sure you weren't dreaming?"

"No I wasn't! Kuroo said the exact same thing!" Bokuto stomped his foot down with annoyance that nobody believed him. "I was wide awake! I know what happened!"

"Why were you up so late, anyway?" Normally, Bokuto would be sleeping a little on the early side because he was so tired from exerting all his energy for volleyball. So it was a surprise that he was still up.

"Oh, I was thinking about Shiori." Bokuto answered easily.

Akaashi's brows rose slightly.

"I realised I _really_ ," Bokuto elongated the word, "like her! And during volleyball practice we had that fight and like, she just seemed more normal to me," Then, he continued the story as normal, "So like, back to what happened. I couldn't really see their face but it was kinda like they were wearing a trench coat or something."

Akaashi was a little lost. He listened to everything that Bokuto said, and related it back to whatever he knew that Bokuto said. A while ago, he had said that he wouldn't ever like Shiori romantically; was that changing? And, what the hell was up with that guy in the trench coat? Akaashi didn't have any doubts about the ace's story.

It just didn't match up.

The first thought that the setter had was the perv that was going around harassing people. Shiori had said she met them, but he wasn't sure what they looked like. Were they stalking Bokuto or something?

 _But I thought they only harassed girls? So why would they go to Bokuto?_ That was what confused him.

"Hey, hey, hey, are you listening?" Bokuto asked with a frown.

"Oh, sorry, I zoned out a little bit."

"I _said_ that I liked Shiori, right?" Bokuto had switched the topic yet again. He had talked about the creepy encounter a bit too much, and he wanted to switch to something that was bothering him.

Akaashi stared at him for a moment, then nodded, "Yeah, you did."

He wasn't sure where Bokuto was going with this.

Bokuto rubbed the back of his neck, "But you all like her too, right?"

Now this isn't what Akaashi expected. It reminded him of the time when they were at Shiori's, and they were talking about her. But, this time, it felt different. The way he said it, the way he had that little spark in his eyes.

 _Don't tell me…_ the setter's eyes widened just a fraction, and his lips parted just ever so slightly.

"Yes, I quite like Shiori-san, too." Akaashi mustered up his voice so that it didn't falter. It was times like this that he was glad that he was able to not freak out too much, even though his mind was already screaming all sorts of ways at the growing possibility of his hunch.

"I _know that_! I mean like, don't you want to, uh, hug her, and uh, or like, be with her all the time?!" His voice grew higher pitched as Akaashi listened in on what he had to say. He was getting a little flustered just talking about it, and his cheeks were beginning to become a light shade of pink.

The 2nd year felt a sinking feeling in his stomach.

Of course he felt all those things. Of course he did. How long did he have this fondness for Shiori, and how long did he have to control himself to not outwardly express such honesty? He's gotten to a point that he was fine just being by her side, knowing all the while that she wasn't going to feel any other way about him.

But, if it was Bokuto, he wondered. Would Shiori falter? Would she give him the time of the day?

Bokuto was grinning to himself, "You know, when she got angry and told me all that stuff at the back of the gym, I was quite shocked. I didn't know she'd be jealous of me and my volleyball skills. She seemed less of a champion, and uh, more of a normal person? Like, then I just felt this THUMP and like I don't really know what happened."

When he finished his words, he turned to his own street and bid Akaashi goodbye, before going off with a whistle.

Akaashi stood, watching as Bokuto's back disappeared down the road. He then turned back to his own way, and shoved his hands into his pockets, allowing his expression to change to one of hopelessness, with a tad of frustration.

Akaashi had probably noticed it before but brushed it off, thinking it was nothing. But, now he didn't think it was nothing.

 _What happened to her being unachievable?_

* * *

Just after the school day had finished, Shiori met up with Kuroo and Kenma, who were having a rest day. She was glad that it fell on the day that she wanted to meet them; specifically Kuroo, since she had some things she wanted to consult with him.

"Hey, thanks for agreeing to meet up with me!" The female volleyball player grinned when she saw them, giving them a wave to signify that she was there.

Kenma didn't say anything, but he gave her a nod. Kuroo grinned and raised his arm in a statue like 'hello', "Hey, what's up."

"First let's go to a café or something." The girl patted the taller male on the shoulder and put a peace sign in front of the pudding haired boy, grabbing his attention.

"Sure thing." Kuroo starting heading the way to a café nearby, followed by the shorter two, who had started to talk about games.

"You know the 2nd hardest level, right? I couldn't beat the boss because it kept lowering all my stats!" Shiori complained, a pout forming.

"Defeating it is easy, though. You should have…" Kenma continued on, and Kuroo just listened in on them sometimes, wondering which café they should go to.

 _I wonder what she wants to see me for,_ the rooster head wondered.

* * *

"Oh? You wanted to know more about that under 19s team that they were gathering?" The Nekoma captain let his lips away from the straw of his drink, blinking at her in surprise.

Shiori nodded. She eyed Kenma when he stole some of her chips, but didn't bother to steal it back. "Yeah. I wanted to see if there was a team apart from Pillows that I could play on."

"You mean a team that're all girls around your age?"

"Mhmm."

"What's wrong with playing with Pillows?"

"Nothing's wrong, I just wanted to try a new experience."

"Aren't you busy though? I heard from Bokuto you were going to Miyagi in the holidays."

"Yeah, I am."

"They have training in the holidays, so you're pretty much going to miss them all."

"Wouldn't they have training during school club times or something as well? They're for under 19s, right?"

"Yeah, but, I forgot to mention that this is for Tokyo's representative girls' under 19s team."

"…eh? What?" Shiori couldn't believe her ears. Kuroo left out such a vital piece of information. "You mean, the national team?"

The taller male nodded, "Yeah," he took a sip, "they've already got people that they plan on using for their team, but they're accepting people at tryouts as well. It's just them getting more numbers. Most of the people already on it are people who have been given recommendation letters to attend."

"Wow, I didn't know that." Shiori took a chip and munched on it as she processed the new info. "Is it more like a training camp or just a long term thing?"

"I think it's a training camp. You know how for the boys' reps they invite people from all over for a week long training camp? It's something like that, but for girls."

"Ah, I see…" Shiori stared at the drink she held in her hand. She wasn't sure if she wanted to go or not, because it might clash with her current plans. "When's the tryouts?"

"They're holding them tomorrow." Kuroo didn't sound too sure, but when he was sure it was the right day, he nodded.

"Tomorrow?" She quizzed herself, wondering whether or not she wanted to go tryout. She could, and possibly get accepted, but then she wouldn't be able to go back to Miyagi. And if she didn't, then she'd be wasting a good opportunity.

"They have another one the next holidays." Kenma spoke up. He had stolen the last chip from Shiori's pile. "But that's only the major ones where lots of others are invited."

"The major one? You mean there are minor ones too?"

"I didn't know you knew this, Kenma." Kuroo teased with a sly grin.

"I only heard it from Tora when he wanted to go see it." Kenma went back to playing his game.

"Ah, I see." Kuroo elongated his vowels, not really believing his childhood friend. Though it was true that Tora did talk about it, truth be told, Kuroo actually saw him searching it up on his phone the other day. But, he wouldn't say anything right now.

"So are there minor tryouts or something?" Shiori pressed, wanting to get her pending question answered.

"Yeah, but it's during the weekends. They have practices together with the people who are in Tokyo."

"So when are tryouts for those?"

"There's one at the same place as the major one tomorrow." Kuroo answered. He thought for a moment, "Pretty sure that you don't need to attend every single one of the minor ones, though recommended."

"That sounds pretty good, actually." Shiori was happy that there was something like that readily available for her to take part in, provided she passed their expectations.

 _Oh, but then I won't be able to play with Keiji or the others on the weekend,_ she realised. _Or Arata._

"…happen with Fukurodani?" Kuroo clicked his fingers in front of her face, snapping her out of her thoughts. "You okay there?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm good. What were you saying?" Shiori blinked a few times.

"I asked if something happened at your school."

"Well, nothing really happened," Shiori paused, the image of everyone's faces when they listened to her outburst coming to mind, "I was just hoping to do some extra stuff to, you know, get back into volleyball."

"Well you're already in it, aren't you? If that monthly volleyball magazine is still featuring you you're good." Kuroo laughed.

"Being in a magazine is nothing compared to achievements on the court. That's just an added bonus for pressure." Shiori deadpanned. "But, I think I'm going to have a lot more fun this time around."

"Hm?" Kuroo raised a brow. "More fun?"

"Yeah. Before I go back to Miyagi, right, I have a few things planned. During Miyagi, I've got a few things planned, too, and when I come back here, there'll be things to look forward to."

"So I take it you're going to tryouts tomorrow?" Kuroo grinned toothily.

"Yeah, that's right. I'm pretty eligible still, aren't I?" She drank the rest of her drink, then stood up, "Alright, I gotta get going! I've got to fill out some things regarding what I want to do with my future. You know, 3rd year stuff."

"Ah, they haven't given that to us yet." Kuroo also finished his drink, then glanced down at Kenma, who had finished way before them.

"On that note, what're you going to do for your future if you're not going to be a volleyball player?" Shiori patted Kenma on the head to get him to stand, and they all exited the café to walk to the station to get the Nekoma students home.

"Well, maybe a scientist or something?" Kuroo made a thoughtful face, like he was thinking deeply.

"I don't know…" Kenma mumbled. That earned him a ruffle of his hair.

"You're not in 3rd year yet, so you have a while to decide!"

"What about you?" Kuroo asked the girl.

"Well, maybe a designer or something." She smiled. "That's why I'm trying for, anyway. But I do want to do volleyball."

"Why don't you be a teacher or something? So like a coach for a volleyball team, and then a teacher for art or visual communication or the like." Kuroo suggested.

"Nah, too much work. I don't really want to be a teacher for anything else other than volleyball."

"I see."

"Why don't you just develop games instead?" Kenma suggested to the female.

"Oh? Develop games? That doesn't sound too bad, actually…oh! Or maybe do the art design for that?! That's such a good idea! Thanks Kenma!"

"It's nothing…"

As Kenma and Shiori talked, Kuroo felt something vibrate in his pocket, and when he looked at it, he nearly sighed.

 _Why did I see this coming?_ Kuroo turned off his screen and slipped it inside his pocket again.

 **Bokuto: Let's go eat yakiniku again!**

 **Kuroo: No.**

* * *

"Keiji?" Akaashi's mother heard him come home, having just crossed the halfway mark of cooking dinner. "Welcome home."

"I'm home, mother." The setter took off his shoes and went straight upstairs, changing and organising his stuff. When he came back down, dinner was served.

"You seem distant today." Mother Akaashi stated, handing him a bowl of rice. He thanked her.

 _Just a little bit,_ was what he wanted to say, but the words wouldn't come out. Instead, the words, _very much so,_ threatened to.

Keiji shook his head, "It's nothing, mother."

The mother stared at him for a moment, then started digging into her meal, "If it's about Shiori-chan, you can say it."

Keiji immediately looked up at his mother, wondering how she knew. She only smiled at him, and her invisible words: _woman's intuition_ rang through his head.

He debated whether he wanted to tell his mother his problem, but decided against it. Instead, he used another topic that still involved her.

"It's not exactly about her, but when should the dinner be? Father won't be here so it'll just be the 3 of us."

"Oh, is that your worry? Don't worry, Keiji! Your mother's going to cook up something delicious, so just worry about how you're going to become her #1!"

Keiji found himself embarrassed at her words; she was always cheering him on even in the smallest of things, and it made him happy, even if he didn't show it on his face.

"…I'm trying," he ended up saying in a whisper.

At his words, his mother's dark eyes widened, doubting if she heard right, but then her lips curled into a big grin, and she laughed with glee, happy that her son was following through.


End file.
